Government Issues Brexit Guidance For Life Sciences Sector
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The UK government has released guidance for companies operating in the life sciences sector, explaining how the sector will be able to operate during the implementation period.
This is a transition period, during which the UK will no longer be a member state, but when the country will continue to interact and trade with the EU much as it is at present. It will begin on 20 March 2019 and will run until the end of 2020.
It’s the first piece of official guidance for the sector to be issued by the government, and it’s been compiled by Department of Health and Social Care, along with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMA), JD Supra explained.
The news provider also highlighted some of the key points within the guidance, including that labelling requirements won’t change, and that the EU will still recognise medical devices that have been CE marked by a UK manufacturer. This could be particularly important for those involved in lab instruments telemarketing.
When it comes to international agreements, such as Mutual Recognition Agreements, the UK will continue to be treated as an EU member state throughout the implementation period.
The detailed guidance can be found on the MHRA pages of the government website.
Speaking to Pharmaceutical Journal, deputy chief scientific officer for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Sheuli Porkess stressed that pharmaceutical companies need “as much clarity as possible”.
She added: “We are clear that there needs to be an implementation period, but whether there will be one is still subject to negotiation.”