News

The first half of 2015 has seen the BAPW build upon the success of 2014 and continue to expand the attendance, remit and breadth of the Association’s various Committees and Working Parties. The success of these important groups is predicated on the membership and the BAPW would like to thank all those individuals who regularly contribute their experience and insight for the good of the whole sector.

With a number of significant policy changes currently working their way through the political and regulatory process, the RP Committee has seen a number of hot topics on its agenda and the implications for medicines wholesalers and distributors. For example, members have raised concerns over the latest MHRA guidance on short-term storage, as well as ongoing questions over WDA and Controlled Drug licensing. RP members are also working closely with the MHRA to gain greater insights from GDP inspection data, so that the whole sector can learn from anonymised best and worst practice. At the recent June meeting, the RP Committee welcomed six representatives from the MHRA and Home Office who updated members on a variety of topics including drug licensing policy and the intelligence led policing of the medicine supply chain.

The RP Committee has also been the obvious forum for BAPW plans to deliver RP Training which has stemmed from the work the Technical Director has been conducting with Cogent, a Government-backed professional standards organisation, in designing best practice guidelines for Responsible Persons.  In addition, the RP Committee members are taking a lead on driving a proposed harmonisation of manufacturers’ GDP audits which are increasing in number and complexity. The Members’ Liaison Group (MLG) has continued to go from strength to strength, with two meetings held in the first half of the year, the first at Phoenix’s Hams Hall Distribution Centre in Birmingham and the second at Alloga UK’s Service Centre in South Normanton, Derbyshire, where attendees received a presentation regarding the role of pre-wholesaling. Acting as a valuable members’ forum where current issues facing the whole medicine supply chain can be discussed, topics covered at the MLG have continued to be varied and wide ranging. These include generic medicine licensing; communication within the supply chain; hospices; medicine shortages and the Falsified Medicines Directive. All members, Full, Affiliate and Associate can attend these MLG meetings which are listed on the BAPW website.