UK-EU deal needed to secure NI medicines ‘stability’ – NOAH

A permanent deal between the UK and EU is crucial to ensuring the “long-term stability” of Northern Ireland’s veterinary medicines supply, an animal health group has warned.

NOAH has urged the two sides to reach an agreement “as a matter of urgency” amid growing concerns about the implementation of new arrangements, which come into force next month.

A parliamentary debate is due to take place tomorrow (3 December) after peers backed calls from veterinary and industry organisations for urgent action on the issue.

But while it thinks some of their concerns have been at least partially addressed, NOAH officials maintain London and Brussels still need to come together.

Transitional arrangements

The group said: “For long-term stability in veterinary medicines supply to Northern Ireland, we are calling for an EU-UK veterinary medicines agreement to be negotiated.”

Although an extension was agreed in late 2022, the current transitional arrangements will expire at the end of this month.

Defra officials have insisted they are confident any disruption from the switch will be “limited”, despite recent warnings that more products could be affected than previously thought.

‘Close dialogue’

NOAH said the UK government had “worked hard” to develop its schemes that allow vets and other retailers to access medicines from elsewhere if shortages occur.

But its latest statement said further medium-term work to refine those processes was still needed to ensure “unnecessary regulatory burden does not act as a barrier to the long-term availability of veterinary medicines”.

The group also urged stakeholders in Northern Ireland to maintain “close dialogue” with industry, regulators and policy makers to raise the alarm about potential product shortages.