# Are Insulin supplies really at risk from a no-deal Brexit?



## Diabetes UK (Aug 1, 2018)

There’s been a bit of a row this week after one of the UK’s senior health regulators issued a stark warning over what a no-deal Brexit could mean for the supply of medicines.

https://www.channel4.com/news/factc...supplies-really-at-risk-from-a-no-deal-brexit


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## everydayupsanddowns (Aug 1, 2018)

As with most things Brexit, it seems to me that the answer to the question is, "We won't really know until it's happened".

Like many things I suspect the potential disasters are all too real, but the worry and anxiety will probably come to nothing so I am fairly relaxed. I'm pretty sure no government is just going to allow 400,000 T1s to die in a matter of days (not to mention all those insulin dependent T2s too)

If everyone starts panic-repeat-prescriptioning to build up their own stockpiles it could really cause problems though, so let's not do that


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## Deleted member 18634 (Aug 1, 2018)

Diabetes UK have shared this along with a statement: 

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/insulin-brexit


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## Matt Cycle (Aug 1, 2018)

It's a non story really.  Agree with Mike they're not going to let 400000 T1's die.  If they do then there's not much I can do about it so why worry.


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## Robin (Aug 1, 2018)

Matt Cycle said:


> It's a non story really.  Agree with Mike they're not going to let 400000 T1's die.  If they do then there's not much I can do about it so why worry.


Especially if one of them's the Prime Minister. ( or maybe former PM by then!)


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## mikeyB (Aug 2, 2018)

This just goes with everything else the Brexit folk haven’t thought of. Stockpiling is fine, until the stockpile runs out. And you can’t stockpile perishable goods. Fruit, such as bananas, salad stuff (which we are already importing because of the hot weather), quinoa, bulgar wheat, soya beans, which aren’t perishable but are imported from countries which already have trade agreements with the EU. So many things will simply disappear while the government sttempts to establish trade agreements with so many countries round the world that have trade agreements with the EU.

And they can’t even establish a trade agreement with the EU. I don’t know how folk will cope without avocados.


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## Robin (Aug 2, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> many things will simply disappear while the government sttempts to establish trade agreements with so many countries round the world that have trade agreements with the EU.


No need for that at all, we just follow the World Trade Organsiation rules. After all, we are, as EU members, already importing stuff where no trade agreements exist, so there is a precedent, and customs officers at the ports should know their job and know what to do.. (Things may go up in price, because they now have to pay a trade tariff, but that's a different question.)
I think any hold ups at the ports will only occur if UK customs and excise staff are deliberately obstructive. Which may well be the case. In which case, they should be told to get on with it!


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## Bloden (Aug 4, 2018)

I guess insulin’ll just be much more expensive for the NHS if there’s no deal.


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## Robin (Aug 4, 2018)

Bloden said:


> I guess insulin’ll just be much more expensive for the NHS if there’s no deal.


It's a complex area, but as far as I can discover after a quick google, there shouldn't be any trade tariffs payable on pharmaceuticals under WTO rules. So there would be no reason for the price of insulin to increase.


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## mikeyB (Aug 4, 2018)

Aye, the only worry I suppose is hold up at the ports, though in refrigerated lorries the only concern is the extra pollution from lorry engines running the fridges. 

In fact, there probably won’t be a hold up for  refrigerated lorries, they are harder to break into for the millions of Turkish folk who would arrive if we stayed in the EU. (Fake news time)


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