The conflict in the Middle East is not causing any medicine supply shortages, the government has said.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told The Pharmacist that it was ‘irresponsible to speculate otherwise’ after a pharmacy leader raised concerns that the conflict could add to the challenges facing the UK’s medicine supplies.
A DHSC spokesperson said: ‘We actively monitor emerging threats to supply resilience and have established processes in place to manage disruption across the health and social care sector.’
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The department was also working to strengthen international partnerships and collaboration on medical supply chains to build long-term resilience and ensure patients have access to the medicines they need, they added.
The ABPI has also advised that this region is not a significant exporter of medicines, and supply routes are flexible so they can adapt to disruptions. However, it will continue to monitor the situation.
Their comments came after Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) warned the current conflict in the Middle East could result in further medicine shortages.
She added: ‘The ongoing conflict in the Middle East further risks shortages as pharmaceutical raw materials become harder to source, energy costs rise, and transport delays mount.’
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Israel and the US began a series of strikes against Iran on 28 February, stating they were targeting the country's leadership, security forces, and nuclear programme and missile sites.
In response, Iran has mounted a series of counter-attacks against Israel, US military bases in the region, and military and civilian locations in Arab states that house US forces. UK bases in Bahrain, Qatar and Cyprus have also been hit.
Dr Hannbeck said that conflict in the Middle East was one of an ‘unprecedented combination of challenges’ facing the UK medicine supply chains, including limited raw ingredients, rising costs, and the fact that most medicines are manufactured abroad.
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She added: “We must incentivise domestic manufacturing, ensure medicines are adequately priced, and strengthen supply chains to protect patients.’
In February, a House of Lords committee report said that medicine shortages were a ‘national security issue’ given the risk they pose to health.
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