Why do so many people say “the govt will make sure everyone gets their life saving medication”

[NeverTwerkNaked]

Have seen these type of comments, or words to that effect, on so many threads about Brexit.

Well I have just lived through 6 stressful months where I was unable to obtain any life saving medication for my son, and 1000s of other parents were facing the same trouble. He has multiple severe food allergies and has had anaphylaxis several times. The government had ample warning there was a supply crisis heading our way (it began in the US). They had all the allergy charities lobbying them. But when it happened they were totally unprepared.

My son actually had anaphylaxis last week, and shouldn’t have been discharged from hospital without an epipen (because of the risk of a second phase reaction) but the hospital pharmacy didn’t have any in stock. So they gave us a prescription and details of all the pharmacies that opened till late. But none of them had a junior epipen in stock. None of them.

So if the govt can fail to plan to cover a well forecast shortage of life saving medicine for children then I don’t think anyone should be feeling relaxed about a no- deal Brexit.

(And the only reason he had a single epipen that I could use to treat his anaphylaxis is because our local pharmacist had spent hours ringing round and then more time on the phone to the GP to get a prescription for the epipen alternative that she could obtain. They aren’t going to be able to do that if there are huge numbers of supply issues

I am so sorry you have had such an awful time with your sons health.

I am ashamed to say I hadn’t heard anything about an epipen shortage at all (and that may be why people aren’t worried).

I'm very sorry to hear about your difficulties. I had heard about epipen problems. I really hope that MPs take notice and, regardless of Brexit, lobby the government to sort this.
If you haven't already done so, ask your MP for help - suggest you leave Brexit out of any communication on this so they don't have an excuse to fob you off with Blah Blah view on Brexit.
I know from my job that MP letters on behalf of constituents get priority.

There is a bit of a difference here though.

I actually dont think the Govt will make sure there are supllies, but ats because i think the Govt we have is generally incompetant.

However the Junior Epipen shortage is a manufacturing issue, so they havent been made and thats why its not available.

The possible medication shortages related to Brexit are about supply routes and agreements.

People are in denial and like to think that those in government know what they're doing - that some higher intelligent power will take of them.

@Lwmommy they had ample warning to start to stock pile/ sort out deals with the manufacturers of alternative auto- injectors though. Certainly the view of the allergy charities is that this was a preventable crisis (in the UK)

@bellinisurge unfortunately our local MP is a foaming-at- the -mouth brexiteer

Haven’t the Government just spent £10m on massive fridges to store medicines?

Well, I work for big pharma and the government did order us to make additional amounts of drugs and store them.
I think people don't actually realise what goes in to making these drugs and just how LONG it takes and then consider expiry dates to replenish unused stock.
We manufacture as much and as quickly as possible but there are restraints on sourcing the raw materials for some drugs. We almost came to a complete standstill for one particular drug because we couldn't get the toluene in fast enough.

There won't be a shortage for no reason and it's easy to say "why havent they done anything" without knowing the ins and outs.
I know every single person I work with, patient focus is the forefront of everyone's mind.

Because people are incredibly ignorant and believe what the govt tells them. They haven’t yet worked out that govts lie all the time.

@NeverTwerkNaked , like I say. Leave any reference to Brexit out of your communication with him/her. I know it has made you reflect on medicine distribution generally but don't give him/her an excuse to look at generalities.
At worst he should send a cover letter to the Department of Health or whoever saying "attached please find a letter from my constituent, please tell me what you are doing ".

For what it's worth and without outing I have seen MP communication on behalf of a constituent on a matter I wouldn't have expected them to care about now I know from press coverage that they are also a "foaming at the mouth" Brexiteer. They still have a job representing constituents.

Because they are idiots is unfortunately the correct answer.

Because they'd rather do that than contemplate the alternatives, especially if their vote was part of the reason we're facing this possibility.

You're right to say people shouldn't be feeling too relaxed, but that's only part of the story because there's also denial.

That’s interesting Whiskey2014.

I can't imagine what that is like as a parent, living each day with that threat hanging over you. So awful.

Why do so many people have faith in the government? Lord only knows. There's no evidence any one should have faith.

Even with a normal government there's an underlying and very much unspoken truth. Whilst on an individual level the death of any individual is unacceptable on a national level it's a numbers game. Decisions are made which increase death of citizens, for example regarding funding of elderly social care, NHS funding, cutting back on disability and other benefit funding, committing troops to military intervention and mental health care. The underlying shoulder shrug at government level is that either money needs to be saved or it's an unfortunate consequence that can't be helped.

I came across this at a personal level for a family member who had never relied on the state for anything, but when they really desperately needed state help it simply wasn't there.it is shocking when you come across this at a personal level.

I'm not saying that this underlying verity applies in the EpiPens case but in answer to the general question why do people have faith in the government, they really shouldn't.Even a 'norma'l government makes ruthless policy decisions of money over lives; there are members of the current lot who are even more extreme in their survival of the fittest views.

@lonelyplanetmum ... it was awful. And awful for all the 1000s of other parents going through it too.

Did you read Whisky2014’s post OP?

The Epipen issue is a direct result of manufacturing problems.

They can happen at any time, and are unconnected to Brexit.

The British government can't really do anything about the temporary suspension of manufacturing (esp in foreign plant) nor can it accept the meds that were produced during the manufacturing fault.

They can make contingency plans about the avoiding of import delay, and funding stockpiles (as far as possible, depending on perishability). That is the planning referred to when people talk of maintaining the supply.

I am well aware what caused the epipen issues. I am also well aware the govt could have done more to mitigate and didn’t, despite ample warning. I am also aware that there was no sensible system in place to ensure that what limited supplies there were went to those who needed them most.

Recent article about the EpiPen shortage in The Lancet - blaming big pharmaceutical companies chasing maximum profits;

www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(18)30344-4/fulltext

They are rationing epi pens and even though the advice is to carry 2 epi pens at all times the Drs will now only give one on prescription.
This was a email sent to Drs and pharmacies because of the shortage and it's disgusting this has been allowed to happen