Pharmacists in the island are taking steps to ensure the island doesn’t face a lack of medicines in the event of a ’no-deal Brexit’.

That was confirmed by the Minister for Health and Social Care David Ashford MHK.

Mr Ashford was responding to a question from social affairs policy review committee member Martyn Perkins MHK regarding the island’s plans if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.

However, Mr Ashford said, in his own personal opinion, there is ’a lot of scare stories’ being played out.

He said: ’There are other countries that aren’t within the boundaries of the EU that manage to import drugs quite happily.

’Lots of drugs come in from outside Europe.’

Mr Ashford also denounced the idea that the army could be forced to have to supply medicine and handle distribution, as some in the UK have suggested.

However, he also confirmed there are plans for what happens in the event of worst case scenario.

’We do have a responsibility to ensure contingency supply and we will be contacting our suppliers.’