The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has outlined a contingency plan to protect the transfer of medical supplies -- including contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals -- between the U.K. and the rest of Europe in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Following its statement criticizing the Brexit withdrawal agreement, the EFPIA has proposed a series of actions geared toward protecting patients and public health if the U.K. and the European Union fail to agree on terms for the U.K. planned departure from the European Union (EU) on 29 March 2019:
- Introducing measures that will allow the U.K. to continue participating in data-sharing platforms with EU nations and recognize U.K.-based testing until its transfer to the EU
- Facilitating the transfer of medicines and materials for clinical trials by exempting them from new customs and borders checks temporarily and placing fast-track lanes or priority routes into ports and airports
- Exempting active pharmaceutical ingredients and raw materials for medicines from border checks temporarily
"An explicit commitment to securing long-term, extensive cooperation around the regulation of medicines and medical technologies [in the post-Brexit relationship] is in the best interests of patients and public health," EFPIA Director General Nathalie Moll noted in a statement.
