Community pharmacists should support prime minister Theresa May’s draft withdrawal agreement if they wish to avoid the potential patient safety implications of a no deal Brexit, health secretary Matt Hancock has claimed.

In a Commons Q&A session on Tuesday December 27, Labour MP for Burnley Julie Cooper what steps Mr Hancock was taking “to ensure that community pharmacies are able to supply vital medical supplies post Brexit, particularly in the event of no deal.”

Ms Burnley MP spoke of the concerns expressed by the MHRA and Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry chief Mike Thompson that there was insufficient cold warehouse storage to stockpile sufficient amounts of medicines such as insulin should the flow of medicines into the UK be disrupted by a no deal Brexit. 

Mr Hancock responded: “Community pharmacies, like everybody else should support the prime minister’s deal, which will make sure that that eventuality does not occur.”

In the run up to the cabinet’s approving the draft Brexit plan, Mr Hancock reportedly told colleagues he could not guarantee a no deal scenario and the medicine supply issues that could ensue from this would not lead to patient fatalities.

The date of Parliament's 'meaningful vote' on the Brexit plan has been set for Tuesday December 11.