#Title

Drug production, supply take a hit
JAGARAN CHAKMA
Production and distribution of medicine have been disrupted for the last four days due to violence centring the quota reform movement and associated curfew to contain the situation, drug makers said yesterday.
Industry operators said they were unable to receive imported raw materials from Chattogram port and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as customs assessment and clearance were disrupted for internet blackout.
This may subsequently affect drug exports too, they said.
“Production of lifesaving drugs remains suspended since last Friday,” said Md Mahbubul Karim, executive director (supply chain) at Incepta Pharmaceuticals.
There are adequate stocks of all the pharmaceuticals now to meet market demand for around one week but if the deadlock persists any longer, healthcare services will be seriously affected, he said.
Another concern was the absence of temperature-controlled facilities at the port and airport, for which some ingredients could get spoiled, he said.
Duty payments in cash are not accepted for release of raw materials, explained Karim.
All exports have been suspended since Thursday, said Wasim Haider, senior manager (international marketing) at Beximco Pharmaceuticals.
Their production facilities were running in full swing, but uncertainties remain over how long it could be continued, he said.
Domestic and global supply chains are almost wholly dependent on the internet and the blackout was seriously hampering trade, he added.
Bookings for shipment of four consignments had to be cancelled in the last three days while keeping contact with foreign clients over phone, especially centring shipment and payment confirmations, was troublesome, he said.
Jahangir Alam, chief financial officer of Square Pharmaceuticals, said their factories were running operations partially to produce some essential drugs such as insulin as employees had apprehensions over the commute to their workplaces.
Drug distribution was also affected as they were having to manually issue invoices for delivering products, he said.
On any given day they usually issue 30,000 invoices but nowadays it had come down to 8,000 to 10,000 as many pharmacies opt to stay closed, he added.
Exports had been growing but the current situation would definitely have an impact on the overall production and supply, said Monjurul Alam, chief executive officer of Medicare, a wing of Beacon Pharmaceuticals.
Most drug makers are facing troubles maintaining correspondence with foreign clients and distributing medicine in local markets due to the unrest, he said. Some new foreign clients have even postponed scheduled factory visits, Alam added.
Export orders tend to be placed in July-September and the ongoing unrest may affect the sector’s business, which would be apparent at the end of the year, he said.
Moreover, foreign buyers might lose confidence in the local manufacturers if they fail to stick to shipment schedules, Alam said.