Sandra Gidley MP visits Teva
4th September 2007
Sandra Gidley MP has paid a visit to a UK pharmaceutical industry packaging centre.
Ms Gidley, who is Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey and also a Liberal Democrat Shadow Health spokesperson, donned protective gear to find out exactly how the Teva UK Limited site in Eastbourne, East Sussex, packages 2.9 million boxes of tablets every week of the year.
It is important to understand the contribution the generics industry makes to the UK healthcare economy, commented Ms Gidley. Today's tour of the Teva facilities has given me a valuable insight into the workings behind the UK's leading generics manufacturer.
Said Kim Innes, Director Teva Generics and Chairman elect of British Generic Manufacturers' Association: As the biggest supplier of boxes of medicines to the NHS, we have a responsibility in keeping those that make healthcare policy in touch with our industry.
Ms Gidley's visit took in the site's entire packaging and distribution facilities, giving her a rare journey behind the scenes of one of the UK's leading pharmaceutical companies. With a portfolio in excess of 500 products, Teva supplies the UK's National Health Service with more boxes of medicine than any other company. It produces 8 billion tablets and capsules every year equivalent to approximately one in every five tablets taken in the UK.