AQO 3286/17-22

Mr Jonathan Buckley
Democratic Unionist Party
Upper Bann

Tabled Date: 03/03/2022
Answered On Date: 15/03/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the impact of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland on the supply of medicines.

Answer:

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, medicines moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are handled as though they are entering the European Union as Northern Ireland follows the European Union acquis. This has raised issues for the pharmaceutical industry in continuing to supply Northern Ireland with medicines from Great Britain.

Discussions between the United Kingdom Government and the European Commission have been ongoing. The United Kingdom Government made a unilateral announcement on 6th September 2021 to operate the Northern Ireland Protocol on the current basis including the grace periods and easements in force. This has meant there has been minimal impact to date on the supply of medicines to Northern Ireland, however, solutions are required for the longer term.

In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care have introduced a Northern Ireland Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Authorised Route (NIMAR) to ensure that people in Northern Ireland can continue to access the prescription-only medicines they need should that medicine be discontinued for the Northern Ireland market. This measure has been operational since 1st January 2022.

On 17th December 2021, the Commission published a proposal on medicines in the context of the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. This proposal covered issues which my Department had raised with the United Kingdom Government. However, there, remain areas which require further consideration in the context of the long term implications of the Northern Ireland Protocol for medicines supply. My Department continues to engage at both official and Ministerial level with the Department of Health and Social Care and the United Kingdom Government to highlight the need for a long term solution.