Pharamaceutical Parallel Trade In The Uk

On the other hand, manufacturers point out that the price differentials that lead to parallel importing are not the result of market prices, but caused by price and reimbursement regulation by governments. If market pricing were permitted, the problem would be much reduced. The main concern of this study, however, is to establish whether patient safety is put at risk by parallel importing. Does repackaging endanger quality control and hygiene, and does parallel importing increase the chances of counterfeit products entering legal supply channels.

In the first part, the authors, both from the Health and Social Care Unit at the LSE, set out in detail the facts on parallel trade from continental Europe to the UK, taking into account legislative, regulatory and economic issues. In the second part, a series of experts considers the evidence of product tampering and quality control, as well as the risk of counterfeiting, in order to tackle the sizeable question of the extent to which it is possible to protect patients without erecting barriers to legal trade.