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21/01/08 - The BAPW ENTERS A NEW ERA...
The British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (BAPW) is pleased to announce two key initiatives this week, which are designed to reinforce the importance of Full-Line pharmaceutical wholesaling as the crucial link in the NHS medicines’ supply chain.
The first of these is to implement a process of self-regulation that will become a condition of full membership of the Association for pharmaceutical wholesalers. Building on the BAPW’s Gold Standard of Good Distribution Practice, BAPW will institute its own “Responsible Persons Committee”, to be chaired by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This committee will uphold and regulate the highest standards in UK pharmaceutical wholesaling, whilst creating a permanent dialogue with the statutory regulator. Using the BAPW Gold Standard of GDP as its template, the RP Committee will also meet to review Full Member company self-audits, so that the standards across BAPW members will be consistent and reflect the latest MHRA best practice.
John Taylor, Group Manager, Regulatory Assessment at the MHRA, confirmed:
“The MHRA is very pleased to have been invited to play its part in this BAPW initiative, which will place the security and certainty of supply in the UK medicines’market at its heart”.
The second strand of BAPW evolution concentrates on broadening the appeal of the Association’s work, emphasising its position at the centre of the UK’s NHS medicines’ supply chain. BAPW will, this week, amend its Constitution to create a new category of “Affiliate Member” of the BAPW, inviting other representative bodies in the medicines’ supply chain to consider becoming members of the BAPW. These new Affiliate Members will have the right to attend BAPW Business Day conferences, as well as to become a member of the groups which jointly work on common business concerns with others in the membership of the BAPW. Last year, for example, BAPW had project groups covering issues such as NHS hospital procurement, “out-of-stocks” and NHS IT developments, amongst others. These groups undertake visits and receive outside experts on the issues under consideration.
Martin Sawer, Executive Director, said: “With all the current pressures and changes to medicines’ supply in the UK, there is a need for some joined-up thinking to ensure that patients’ changing needs are met and not overlooked amongst all the different commercial pressures around. BAPW believes that by agreeing broadly-based best practice models, with as many of the parties involved as possible, the security and efficiencies of the UK supply chain can be maintained and enhanced”.
With both of these initiatives, BAPW believes it is continuing to put patients’ needs first and adapting as an Association to the changing healthcare environment.
All Enquiries: Martin Sawer, Executive Director, BAPW on 07710 380652.
