Today our Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison had the opportunity to give oral evidence to the Lords Public Services Committee as part of its inquiry into medicines security.
He was joined by
- Martin Sawer, Executive Director at Healthcare Distribution Association (HDA)
- James Davies, Director of Research and Insights at Community Pharmacy England (CPE)
Following his appearance before Malcolm said:
“I was pleased to give evidence to the Lords Public Services Committee inquiry into medicines security today.
Medicine shortages not only risk patient health but also place additional strain on frontline pharmacy teams.
At the committee I highlighted the key message – that there is an urgent need for investment across the entire supply chain. Investing in Drug Tariff pricing and retained margin are essential steps to stabilising the supply chain and ensuring the UK remains a competitive market to global manufacturers.
Investment in medicines pricing is also fundamental to build healthy competition and resilience, both of which are vital to future-proofing the supply chain to meet patients’ needs.
As I said to the committee: what builds resilience is competition. And competition also drives prices down, which is beneficial for the NHS and taxpayers.
The CCA has recently established the Medicines Supply Resilience Group, bringing partners from across the supply chain together with officials from DHSC, NHSE and regulatory bodies, to explore how the system can be strengthened for the future.
I want to thank the committee for its timely inquiry. Their attention to this issue is vital to shaping a more resilient and responsive medicine supply chain for patients in the future.”
You can watch the session back here.
Our written evidence is available to read here.