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<p>Treatments for bleeding disorders include pharmaceutical medicines as well as products
derived from donated blood, such as clotting factors. As these are licensed medicines,
they will be in scope of our medicine supply contingency plans. Contingency work for
blood and blood components is being led by NHS Blood and Transplant.</p><p> </p><p>We
understand that these medicines are vitally important to many people in this country.
Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the
United Kingdom from or via the European Union to ensure that the supply of medications
for bleeding disorders and other essential medicines for patients is not disrupted.</p><p>
</p><p>In August 2018, the Department wrote to all pharmaceutical companies that supply
prescription-only and pharmacy medicines to the UK that come from, or via, the EU/European
Economic Area (EEA) asking them to ensure a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply
in the UK, over and above existing business-as-usual buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019.</p><p>
</p><p>We recognise, however, that certain medicines cannot be reasonably stockpiled.
Where these medicines are imported from the EU or EEA, we have asked that suppliers
ensure in advance plans to air freight these medicines from the EU in the event of
a ‘no deal’ exit.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the stockpiling medicines and alternative air
freight remains a critical part of our ‘no deal’ medicine supply contingency plans,
we are also supplementing these with additional actions.</p><p> </p><p>We have further
secured sufficient roll-on, roll-off freight capacity on alternative routes to enable
these vital products to continue to move freely in to the UK. Medicines and other
medical products will be prioritised on these routes to ensure that the flow of all
these products will continue unimpeded after 29 March 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout
enacting our plans, we have received very good engagement from industry who share
our aims of ensuring that the continuity of supply of medicines and medical products
for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border
that may arise in the short term in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit.</p>
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