The Independent is reporting the drop in the value of the pound has made it so much more expensive to import medicines and Britain faces a potentially serious shortage. Some people are having to wait days for their medicines while pharmacists negotiate with wholesalers to release the drugs.
Imports of medicines have fallen sharply and major companies such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca (who make the statin Cestor) are rationing the quantity of drugs released to British pharmacies, GPs and hospitals to prevent them being re-exported abroad.
Now traders, who used to buy in Europe and sell to Britain, are buying in Britain and selling in Europe and Scandinavia.
'Martin Sawyer, executive director of the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, said: "There is a lot of evidence of British products in the Scandinavian countries and in Germany." There was a danger "the UK could become the new Greece or the new Spain", he said – a reference to the shortages these countries have experienced in the past when targeted by traders seeking low-cost drugs.'
This is a very serious consequence of Gordon Brown's handling of the economy and one which should concern us all.
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8 comments:
First let me congratulate you on your blog layout - very professional.
As for big pharma - we need a new model.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/02/8664
Hi Subrosa,
May I please also congratulate you on the new layout. Much improved.
Regards,
Is that you in the title bar?
Thanks scunnert. Haven't the pharmaceutical companies ripped off governments for years? All in the name of R & D of course.
I do hope the WHO breaks through with this but it's a tough battle for them. So many fingers in so many pies ...
Thank you Rab, yes it is quite an improvement. All thanks to a lovely man who helps me out with my website design.
I think he was fed up looking at the mess I was making of the last one! Was a lovely surprise to be sent the banner last night and it certainly kept me busy!
No Conan it's not, but as my friend said it's not a million miles away. Then again he's always flattering me because I give him the very occasional bottle of gold stuff.
The reason he used a 'model' is because of privacy. Well you never know who sees your blog do you? ;)
I'm off to have a look at yours. What a super start you've made and most impressive. Do wish I had more IT skills, this HTML business floors me.
I'm waiting for scunnert to tell me how to load a video - hope he reads this!
Thought i would have a look around your swanky new blog( I have took my shoes off). Very nice just the Style you would expect from a Dundee wife.
PS
Drop in the value in the pound means our medicines are cheaper for poorer nations. And no matter what the U.K recession causes we are not going to suffer as they do.
The real scandal is companies like
Pfizer and AstraZeneca trying to fix the market and keep prices higher than they would be.
26 January 2009 12:31
Niko, the real scandal is that people's lives could be put at risk. Some folks are kept alive by prescription drugs and if Gordon Brown allows this to continue then what hope have they got.
Drug companies have always been courted by governments and thus they achieve massive profits. I wish I could find out how many MPs are paid retainers by drug companies. Might just try theyworkforyou.com
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