We expect imports of Paracetamol to drop to 19 percent, from 99.9 percent
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Health Ministry along with the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) have developed 16 medicinal raw materials to be produced domestically.
“We have identified 16 dominant medicinal raw materials, and now, we have started to develop them to be domestically produced,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated during a working meeting with Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta, Tuesday.
The 16 medicinal raw materials so far being imported, comprise Paracetamol, Omeprazole, Clopidogrel, Atorvastatin, Bisoprolol, Candesartan, Amlodipine, Gefitinib, Imatinib, Sitagliptin, Entecavir, Lanzoprazole, Dapagliflozin, Sugammadex, Ceftriaxone, and Cefixime.
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In particular, the raw materials for Paracetamol, Omeprazole, Clopidogrel, and Atorvastatin have been successfully produced domestically since 2017 and 2021, he noted.
“Once it has been produced domestically, we will change the source. If the drugs’ raw material has been changed from import to domestic, we must officially change the source of the raw material for the drug,” he remarked.
The minister explained that if the change source mechanism is carried out independently by drug manufacturers, then it will involve a lengthy process and longer time.
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Hence, the Ministry of Health facilitates quick change source services to help pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia to buy domestic raw materials, from those that were originally imported. For instance, Paracetamol, as a raw material for drugs, with an import procurement rate of 99.9 percent in Indonesia in 2021.
“Now, we have started to manufacture the factory in the country. We expect imports of Paracetamol to drop to 19 percent, from 99.9 percent,” he stated.
In addition to Paracetamol, Sadikin is also working towards reducing dependence on imported pharmaceutical salt, which had reached 100 percent in 2021, to 79.38 percent this year.
“I saw several domestic pharmaceutical salt companies. We hope that in 2023, we will reduce the imports to 18.39 percent,” he remarked.
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