A Look Back on Pharma in 2021

2021 has certainly been a huge year for pharma. Things have changed drastically and it would seem that there has been a lot of upheavals as well. If you want to find out more about pharma, how it has changed then simply take a look below.

Primary Packaging And The Increase In Demand

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a lot of the UK’s shortcomings, in regards to the healthcare system, into the spotlight. Many of these issues would not have been known about at all if it wasn’t for the unprecedented times that we live in right now. There were shortages of PPE at the start of the pandemic, and this was very much covered in the media. Covid-19 also played a huge strain on things such as life science diagnosis, as well as disrupting the supply of various intensive care medicines. This included drugs and oxygen. Doctors were left with no option but to ration the supply that they had. A growing number of organisations, as well as the NHS, are now trying to call on the government to bring pharma manufacturing back to the UK, in an attempt to stop history from repeating itself. A strengthened industry of primary packaging and manufacturing in terms of the supply chain would help to protect the UK’s position as a leader in the world of life-saving sciences and it would also save taxpayers money when it comes to ensuring that life-saving drugs and medicines are provided. The overall increase in demand could pave the way for more exciting, protective measures in the future.

Brexit Supply Chain Issues

Trade data has also shown that the introduction of customs control, as well as transport requirements, had the impact that was feared when you look at supplies coming from the EU. Medicinal imports from the trading bloc, which have made up around two-thirds of the supply for the NHS, crashed to the lowest level in a number of years. Even though this has recovered, it is weak compared to other years. It has been below the level it was in 2016, for the entirety of 2021. Imports of various EU medicinal devices have also reached the lowest level in January 2021. They did however recover much more strongly. The strategies used to deal with immediate shortages have been effective when you look at the first few months of the year. Shortages do happen all the time and measuring them is difficult. There’s also a grey area of products, that are not available for the price the NHS can pay, which complicated matters.

Vaccine Development and Rollout

It has also been one year since the first Covid-19 vaccine was launched. The vaccination programme has been a great success and there have been 120 million doses given so far. This has saved countless lives and it has also helped to reduce a significant amount of pressure on the NHS. A year ago, the UK became the first country in the whole world to deploy a Covid-19 vaccine. The programme has been such a success so far and this has not only saved countless lives, but it has also reduced a significant amount of pressure on the NHS. Booster programmes are being accelerated and new vaccine sites are now being offered support by the military. There is also a new vaccination drive in place, with the aim to offer booster jabs to every adult by the end of January.

New Age Supply Chain Models Are Being Developed

The CIM, or Centre for International Manufacturing are now leading the research program in REMEDIES. This is a £23 million-pound, sector-wide initiative to help people to understand how the pharmaceutical supply chain in the UK is going to change. The internationalisation of the pharmaceutical supply chain, through offshoring, outsourcing and even the need to access new markets brings about complexity, risk and also challenge. Many firms are now left with the burden of having to work out how to reduce their supply chain footprint. There are companies that think it is a good idea to localise the supply chain to prevent issues such as this. Hybrid Pharma Packaging Partner (HP3) is a change designed to accelerate how competitive the primary packaging industry is.

New Age Of ‘Developing And Supplying Packaging’ On A Global Level

According to market research, the packaging market is growing at an alarming rate. It is going to grow at an annual rate of 8.3% for the pharmaceutical industry between the years 2019 and 2025. Drivers for this growth stem from the rising demand from additional emerging economies as well as increased efforts to try and lengthen life expectancy. Several trends such as mandates, niche areas for disease and even patient-centricity have all been highlighted as an important trend for the pharmaceutical industry and packaging. This is going to lead to a new age of both the supply and the development of packaging, on a much bigger, global level.

UK Manufacturing Is Seen As One Of The Best Countries for Delivering Quality Packaging

The importance of the UK getting a deal with the EU, which essentially avoids any trade barriers, is now more understood than ever. Studies have shown that the overall value of trade within the bloc is double that of the US. The UK’s top export destinations are within the EU. The US is the biggest exporter when it comes to UK manufactured products. The UK is easily one of the best countries when it comes to delivering both quality products and packaging. It is also continually pushing the boundaries when it comes to both consistency and practicality. New and innovative solutions are continually adopted, ensuring that the UK is always the best when it comes to pharmaceutical production.

2021 has certainly been a big year for pharmaceuticals and it would seem that a lot of work has gone into not only overcoming challenges, but also ensuring that more innovative solutions are put into place for the future of healthcare. The future is looking strong and bright, for the industry.

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