British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA)

£18 billion of annual savings are already made by the NHS from using generic medicines. By investing in the off-patent sector, the Chancellor could save the NHS a further £3 billion a year in medicine costs. Read our manifesto for our recommendations to the Government: https://bit.ly/3YmCnVt #AutumnBudget #AutumnBudget2024 #NHS #HealthPolicy

Speaking to the Financial Times, our Chief Executive Mark Samuels urges the new UK government and the European Commission not to enforce the deadline of January 1, 2025 for medicines to have the 'UK only' labelling in order that they are compliant with the Windsor Framework Agreement. The consequences could limit medicines used in Northern Ireland and increase shortages. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eTBimtFN #Medicines #Trade

We're delighted that our Chief Executive Mark Samuels is a finalist in the Association Excellence Awards 2024. The annual award celebrates the contributions that associations and professional organisations make to their members and Mark has been recognised for his exceptional leadership by being shortlisted. Congratulations to all those shortlisted and we look forward to the award results on 8th November. #AssociationExcellenceAwards #Leadership

Join us as patients, healthcare providers, regulators and industry professionals discuss ways of “Advancing Access to Biosimilars” during #GlobalBiosimilarsWeek. Learn more about the event: https://lnkd.in/d_cpUnQ

Biosimilars play a vital role in widening patient access to treatments. Find out how British Biosimilars Association member Celltrion Healthcare UK Ltd is helping to rewrite the outcomes of cancer.

As the world-famous Munich beer festival concludes, did you know the average pack of generic medicine dispensed on NHS prescription costs less than a pint of beer at a British pub? Investing in the off-patent sector offers a vital lifeline to save the NHS money. Find out more about generic medicine in our fact sheet: https://bit.ly/4d6mp7u #Medicines #NHS

Every medicine matters. Every prescription is a promise to a patient to fulfil the treatment they need to improve their quality of life. We are all patients at one time or another. When the system fails in its central mission to ensure the right medicine is delivered to the right patient at the right time, it is critical to understand the reasons and seek solutions.   Sadly, we are in a period of relatively high numbers of medicines shortages. Currently, around 100 presentations are out of stock every month, and this figure has been at a sustained rate for more than a year. It is double what it was two years ago. The broader context is that there is always a level of shortages, and while 100 out of 3,000 available tariff products is proportionally small, if it’s your treatment you can't obtain and it’s been months of unavailability, then it matters hugely.   It’s not only in terms of physical health and well-being but also the mental anguish that shortages cause. The stress of not knowing when and where a much-needed medicine will be available is hard to imagine. There is also the toll on pharmacists who have to work harder and harder to source products while being at the frontline of patient care and having to explain why medicines aren’t available.   The truth of the matter is the UK medicines market is not at resilient as it once was. The UK is no longer as attractive a market for global suppliers who have to prioritise finite supplies. Four out of five #NHS prescription medicines are fulfilled by off-patent products, but the policy environment which could help sustain this often-overlooked industry has been largely absent under successive governments. The result is now a situation where the UK has to compete globally for limited medicine allocations. Manufacturers are having to make difficult decisions, and the UK, for a variety of reasons, is now a much more complex and costly place to do business.   The tangible repercussions are that shortages are becoming increasingly common and, without change, may become the new normal for patients. However, as an industry, we believe changes can be made that would significantly and timely improve supplies.   Many organisations are also considering the supply crisis and what policy interventions may be necessary to enable change. As our contribution, we today publish a paper which outlines areas of policy which could be addressed to improve supply issues. These are recommendations we have discussed with our members and partners and focus on practical solutions which we believe will make a significant impact. No part of the supply chain, or indeed the government, can change this in isolation, and we believe it’s important to canvass a wide range of views as the basis for improvement and ensure patients can access the medicines they need when they need them. To find out more, read our #MedicinesShortages paper at https://lnkd.in/eZQjsW8Z

With 4 out of 5 prescription medicines fulfilled by generics or biosimilars, the off-patent sector is a vital pillar of the NHS. Learn more stats about generic medicine in our factsheet: https://bit.ly/3N2PENG #Medicine #NHS

September's NHS medicines shortage data showed 104 supply issues. For the first time in a year, high impact generic issues outnumber originator ones. A slight drop in the number of long-term supply issues may have translated into a higher discontinuation rate for September. View our dashboard, based on NHS/DHSC data: https://bit.ly/47CPpCs #DrugShortages #Medicine