ABPI demands extra sanctions on pharmacists to tackle stock shortages

Has the ABPI spoken to those companies that own the big three pharmacy wholesalers and how much separation there is between their wholesaling and retail divisions!

I doubt it.

So parellel importing is good for the DoH but parallel exporting is not? There's a surprise! Talk about having your cake and eating it. The problem pre-dates direct-to-pharmacy supply. Both sides (pharmacy and big pharma) are saying the other side is to blame. Why not sit down together to sort things out? At the end of the day the only real losers are going to be the patients. Bob Jones (Relief Pharmacist)

Rowlands Pharmacy - owned by Phoenix, one of the big three mentioned above. Vested interest?

Interesting that the ABPI is trying to convince contractors their members are putting up to 30% more in the supply chain than is needed. I found out that DTP etc deals were set up to take 30% off what was previously in the supply chain. So 30% of a lower figure still does not get the stock in the system back to what it was pre-DTP days. ABPI must think we are all stupid.....

Hasn't Big Pharma read the EU rules on free movement of goods and services.
Don't they remember that VW was fined millions for trying to block parallel importing.
The potential fines are immense even for big pharma.
There is one answer to all of this-Pan European pricing, it's doubtful that currency variations between the pound and Euro would make parallel trade very attractive.

My comment was posted as an individual and has no reflection on my employer's views. I was trying to inject some common sense into what has plainly become a ludicrous situation where neither side seems to be able to take responsibility for their own actions.
Thank goodness I will be 65 years old in November and can get out while I still have some sanity left.
Bob Jones (Relief Pharmacist)

Separation of pharmacy dispensing and exporting/wholesaling businesses makes sense. It is a step to some transparency. This, however, should not only apply to pharmacies but also to wholesalers (which would require reviewing the legal entities attached to them).

Keep in mind that pharmacy wholesaling activity may be to other local pharmacies/ legal entities who then carry out consolidation and then export. It is not necessarily a single sale that leads to an export and eventually a shortage.