Play store
The Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) has urged the government to assign state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) responsibility for producing essential medicines.
BAPI leaders said private pharmaceutical companies often struggle to remain commercially viable while producing certain essential medicines. They argued that EDCL, with government support and multiple manufacturing facilities, is better positioned to ensure a steady supply.
The demand was raised at a discussion with the Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum at BAPI’s office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Monday (24 August).
BAPI former secretary general and Delta Pharma Managing Director Dr Md Zakir Hossain said essential medicines must remain adequately available in the market and healthcare facilities at all times.
He noted that government hospitals already procure a large share of their medicines from EDCL and argued that the company could also be given responsibility for producing medicines on the essential list.
BAPI Secretary General and Healthcare Pharmaceuticals CEO Mohammad Halimuzzaman called for the essential medicines list to be updated in line with current needs. He said the medicines should also be affordable and meet required quality standards.
He said many medicines on the 117-item essential list introduced in 1994 are no longer produced in sufficient quantities because manufacturing them is not economically viable. Such medicines could potentially be produced by EDCL and supplied to the public at affordable prices or free of charge, he added.
BAPI Senior Vice-President and Unimed Pharmaceuticals Chairman Md Mosaddek Hossain stressed the need to protect Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry, which has achieved self-sufficiency in medicine production and competes in international markets.
He warned that policies that weaken local manufacturers could create opportunities for foreign companies to capture the domestic market.
BAPI leaders called for a balanced government policy that ensures the availability of essential medicines while protecting the growth and competitiveness of the domestic pharmaceutical industry.