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Photo taken in a pharmacist in Lille. (Illustration) AFP PHOTO PHILIPPE HUGUEN

The scenario of a Brexit without an agreement could lead to a shortage of medicines in Europe. The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations is concerned about this. The United Kingdom is indeed a big exporter of medicines to Europe.

With our correspondent in Brussels , Laxmi Lota

The United Kingdom exports some 45 million boxes of medicines each month to the rest of Europe. According to the experts, disruptions in supply will be inevitable in case of British exit without agreement with the EU. Additional controls in ports and borders will delay the transport of drugs, but also the chemical components necessary for their manufacture.

Some substances may also no longer receive marketing authorizations. Nearly 6,000 of these products have to go through a new licensing procedure after Brexit.

In February, the Netherlands estimated that 50 essential medicines were threatened with scarcity in the event of an exit without agreement. Uncertainties have since been lifted for most of them, but problems could occur with other treatments, says the Ministry of Health.

Pharmaceutical groups are organizing themselves: treatments of short-term preservation components can be transferred by air. The European Medicines Agency believes that the EU is well prepared.

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