Will coronavirus lead to drug shortages for the NHS? | Andrew Hill
The global pandemic is exposing Britain's dangerous reliance on imported medicines
The coronavirus pandemic has increased the risk of shortages of several essential medicines. Raw materials for many key drugs, such as antibiotics and statins, are manufactured in China, where factories have been disrupted by efforts to contain the virus. Will this mean shortages for the NHS?
The drug supply chain relies on what are known as "active pharmaceutical ingredients" - the basic molecules used to make drugs. These raw materials are manufactured in China and then exported to India and other countries where they are formulated into tablets or injections, for sale worldwide. Indian companies procure 70% of their raw materials with ingredients from China, where manufacturing is cheap. The NHS imports 80-90% of its drugs supply from abroad, and 25% of its generic drugs from India.
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