Delays to insulin delivery from Denmark

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Health if he has prepared plans to counteract delays to insulin delivery from Denmark should the UK landbridge be closed in the event that a no-deal Brexit occurs at the March 2019 deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

As part of the whole of Government response to Brexit, my Department is working on a comprehensive and coordinated set of actions to ensure, as far as is possible, continuity of supply of medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Significant work has already been undertaken by the Department, the HSE, and the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), together with industry, to ensure that risks to the continuity of supply are mitigated to the greatest possible extent.

Both the HPRA and HSE have requested that medicines manufacturers and suppliers highlight any issues regarding the availability of specific products associated with Brexit - to date, no major issues have been identified through this process. 

The HSE and HPRA are contacting the suppliers of certain products, such as medicines subject to cold storage, to ensure that contingency plans are in place for Brexit. The agencies are also working with the Revenue Commissioners to ensure that any delays at customs are minimised. In any event, the existing distribution system for medicines already holds sufficient stocks to help absorb any short-term supply delays. 

The Government’s Contingency Action Plan for a no-deal Brexit outlines the wider approach to landbridge issues that may arise as a result of a no-deal Brexit.