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'Pak pharma industry pretty weak'

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Although a fairly large number of local pharmaceutical manufacturers exist in Pakistan, their share of the market is comparatively small and, with the exception of a few reasonably large houses, the generic pharmaceuticals arm of the industry is pretty weak.

These views were expressed by Sultan S. Ghani, Manager of Pharmaceutical Quality Division, Bureau of Pharmaceutical Assessment, Therapeutic Products Programme, Canada, in a lecture delivered by him here on pharmaceutical and pharmacy issues facing Pakistan before a gathering of pharmaceutical professionals.

Due to the fact that very little raw material manufacturing is done in Pakistan, the pharmaceutical industry is dominated by manufacturers of the finished dosage form imported raw material. This is the area where policy-makers failed to realise the long-term benefits. If the government of Pakistan is serious about improving the industry, they should design a policy which supports this and provides incentives to the industry in this area without which "you cannot develop your research and development capabilities", he said.

Ghani said new drugs are not developed and marketed overnight. With the exception of the occasional serendipitous finding, they are the outcome of extensive and costly research and development. A report from the Study Centre of Drug Development at Tuft University says that it takes an average of 12 years and $231 million to get one new medicine from the laboratory to the pharmacist's shelf.

In terms of the world market of pharmaceuticals, Pakistan represents about 0.4 percent, yet it is an important market from both the multi-national and generic pharmaceutical point of view, he said.

One of the problems is "price control". Ghani said: "From my point of view, the present price control system of pharmaceutical products should be abolished." The only price control needed is on basic essential drugs for general public use, he said.

Another issue, he said, which deserves the utmost attention of the government, is to provide incentives for the growth of the generic industry. In order to have a regular supply of essential drugs for the general public, financial support and tax incentives are needed for the survival of the generic industry.