Pakistan: Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical export registers 30% growth.

Pakistan’s pharmaceutical products exports has registered more than 30 percent surge during previous year mainly due to aggressive marketing by the pharmaceutical companies and improving quality of their produced material in line with the international standard. The export of medicines to some 52 countries across the globe stands at $125 million compared to $90 million to $95 million during corresponding period of the previous year. However, compared to other countries, Pakistan is lagging far behind in volumes of the exported medicines owing to number of impediments hampering fast track progress of the pharmaceutical industry during several decades.Former chairman, Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Association (PPMA), Dr Qaiser Waheed, claimed that it was only during the last few years that local pharmaceutical industry has been able to display its true potential and “made its presence felt in the international markets.”Earlier, export of the pharmaceutical products was disorganised , consequently country’s export volume remained stagnant.Currently, bulk of medicines is exported to African countries, Central Asian States, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Citing major problems faced by the pharma industry Waheed said, “ironically thepotential of this sector was never recognised by the officials in Federal Health Ministry due to their lack of knowledge about the needs of this enormous field, which can fetch annually several millions of dollars for the national exchequer.”Unlike all other industries in the country, which fall under the administrative control of the Ministry of Industries, the pharma industry is managed by Federal Health Ministry, which has squarely failed to promote growth and interest of this sector.