COVID-19 - Update

As the situation with regard to COVID-19 continues to evolve we would like to outline the steps that we are taking to protect our employees, to maintain product supply and services to our customers and to provide support to the overall effort to combat the virus by the health sector.

At this point in time we will not be furloughing employees, nor will we be taking financial support from any government body as we believe that the Company will remain financially sound in the immediate future.

Our People

Our employees are our biggest asset and our number one priority. As such, we have taken a series of steps to keep them safe and well. These include home working for all employees who are able to work from home, and along with this the flexibility to care for others and their own health and well-being.

We have taken additional measures to ensure the safety of key workers in production sites, laboratories, warehouses and logistics sites. These include, for example, slowing down line speeds to ensure that social distancing can be maintained at all times and making adjustments to shift changeovers to minimise contact.

Employees in our manufacturing facilities must use personal protection equipment (PPE) for some activities. In order to ensure that we are not competing with the needs of essential healthcare workers, we are trying to source stocks of PPE that would not be the first choice for human healthcare teams working on the frontline.

Our Customers

Continuity of product supply for our customers is a key priority for Dechra. We have invested significant resources to ensure we maintain an adequate supply of raw materials and finished goods to meet the market demands.  At this time, we do not foresee any major supply issues for Dechra products. We are committed to keeping our production and logistics functions running smoothly.  Many of our distribution partners also purchased additional product in March to support the continuity of supply.

We continue to develop new content for the Dechra Academy to support online learning and CPD for veterinary professionals. To complement this we have also expanded our webinar programme across the US and Europe.

Our technical services teams around the globe, now working remotely, continue to provide direct support and help customers deal with specific product related enquiries.

Our Product Development

As well as maintaining production and supply of existing products we continue to invest in product development to create novel solutions to support the needs of our customers. Despite some constraints, this aspect of our business is largely unaffected by the current situation and therefore we continue to progress our business and product development agenda.

Our Partners

We continue to work with government organisations and global health services to meet increasing demand for certain medications which can be used to treat human as well as animal medical conditions. Where possible, we are also granting employees time to voluntarily support various medical and care initiatives during this challenging time.

As an ethical, values led business, Dechra aims to play its part in stemming the spread and impact of COVID-19 to the full, and we will continue to explore additional opportunities to support colleagues, customers and partners across the globe during this challenging time.