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<p>The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products, including medical radioisotopes, once we
have left the EU.</p><p>The Department’s plans include implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling
where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory requirements,
procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to improve trader
readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption Response to manage potential
shortages. Further details can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans</a>.</p><p>The
supply of medical radioisotopes is being handled by dedicated officials, in collaboration
with Devolved Administrations, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, as
these products have particularly short shelf lives and therefore cannot be stockpiled,
as well as having complex transport requirements given the radioactivity involved.</p><p>
</p><p>The Department, together with other Government Departments and representatives
from industry (suppliers and couriers), has also successfully completed an operational
testing exercise to help to ensure the uninterrupted flow of medical radioisotopes
if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. This has allowed us to test the resilience
of the supply chain arrangements for medical radioisotopes.</p><p> </p><p>Prices of
medicines often vary due to a wide variety of factors under normal conditions and
there is no evidence that the cost of medicines to the NHS are outside of expected
ranges. We will continue to monitor this<em>. </em>The UK Government is working closely
with the Devolved Administrations, the NHS and suppliers of medical radioisotopes
to monitor the costs of radiopharmaceuticals to the NHS in 2019-20.</p><p> </p><p>
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