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Drug raw material imports rise sharply

By Shahzad Monju
Imports ol pharmaceutical raw materials arc gradually In creasing every year according to figures available with drug administration authorities.
In 1988 the Imported raw materials were valued Taka 140.29 crores. Hut It shot up to Taka 146.75 crore tn 1989 and then to Taka 148.32 crore tn 1990.
Country's pharmaceutical industry is totally dependent on imported raw materials from Industrially developed countries Including Japan. Taiwan and Korea.
Multinational and most of the large companies are Interested lo procure raw materials front the European market but small pharmaceutical companies Import raw materials from the Asian countries, industry-
Sometimes multinational and big national companies are compelled to buy their raw materials from the nearest available sources other tluin tlic European states because of political turmoil and higher transportation costs.
Domestic pharmaceutical industry encompasses 194 manufacturing units Including nine multi-nationals. These companies produce only five basic chemicals such as Antacid. Piperazine Cilratc. Bcnzoyel Mctrnidazolc. Ampi-ctltn and l*aracclamr>l
But kxfal production I* not sufficient to meet the entire domestic demand.
Bangladesh also imports finished products, in particular. In the field of Injectable* Injections. anti-btotic and cyc-p re pa ration*.
In last year the imports of finished products costs Taka 29.37 crore. But in 1989 this amount was Taka 24.36 crore. About manufacturing pharmaceutical raw material* In the country. Abu Zamil Ferdous. a teacher of the Pharmacy Department of Dhaka University told The Dally Star owners of the pharmaceutical industries are not willing to manufacture raw materials because of it requires huge investment.' He further said, we have enough skilled manpower bui we lack
in technical support to produce drug materials.
Source* within drug manufacturing circles said that manufacturing unit* did not get sufficient credit support from the banks for making such Investments.
Administrative bottleneck, burcaucralic red-tape and political unrest arc other factor* responsible for lingering dependence on Imported drugs and raw materials, they said. Colonel (Retd) Mokhlesur Rahman Khan. Director of Drug Administration however revealed the situation in a different way. He said that If the owners really made attempts to produce raw materials. It was possible to reduce dependence on Imported raw mate rt.il*
General Secretary of Pharmacy Graduates Association Dr. Rcza-ui-Jalll also informed Hie Daily Star that the testing laboratory did not have an adequate number of pharmacists. It is not possible to ensure the quality of products