No reports of impact on medicines supply to date – HPRA

There have been no reports to date of Covid-19 impacting on the general supply of medicines to Ireland or Europe, a Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) spokesperson has told the Medical Independent (MI).

In a response yesterday evening, the HPRA said it is working with stakeholders to anticipate “in so far as is possible” any potential vulnerabilities in medicines supply and to devise contingencies to address any identified concerns.

“In addition, Ireland will continue to work with authorities at a European and international level to closely monitor the situation and ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to facilitate continuity of care and treatment,” they added.

As a body, the HPRA has “well-established” business continuity plans to ensure continued operations in the event of major disruption, according to its spokesperson.

“These include the potential for staff to access the necessary IT systems from locations other than the HPRA offices. Remote access capabilities at the scale potentially needed continue to be tested to ensure services can be seamlessly delivered if staff have to work from home.”