Medicine is a primary need for human being as it acts as a safeguard for life. It also adds asthetic values to life. Bangladesh is the only country among the least developed countries (LDC) having world class pharmaceutical product manufacturing facilities. Currently the industry is meeting 97% medicine need of the country and exporting the surplus to Asia, Europe and America. Unortunately most of the people of Bangladesh is not aware of this success. At present Bangladesh needs to import only high tech medicines like anticancer drugs, biologicals and medical equipments.
The industry not only made 97% drugs available to the patiets but it made it available at the cheapest price in the world. Surprised! Can you believe that an antiulcerant capsule which is 4-5 taka per capsule in Bangladesh, costs 80 taka in developed countries. A 87 taka ointment costs 1200 taka in the developed countries. But this is very unfortunate that we are sometimes blamed for charging high price of medicines. I can bet, price of medicines in Bangladesh is the cheapest in the world.
Some people may think that cheap medicne is provided for inferior drugs. Wrong perception. Medicines of Bangladesh is world class. Several bioavailability and bioequivalence study with the leading parent company drugs revealed that our medicines are bioequivalent. Many pharmaceutical plants in Bangladesh got MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of United Kingdom), TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia) approval, which documents similar quality, safety and efficacy like UK and Australian medicines.
Not only for business concern, the industry is safeguarding the nation sometimes. During the outbreak of Bird Flu and Swine Flu medicines were available to treat the patients of Bangladesh. We are always ready to fight public health threats like Cholera, Diarrhoea, Dengue, Kalazar, Worms, Malaria. The industry has made ORS available to your doorsteps. New reduced osmolarity oral saline, rice based oral saline, all are avaialble in Bangladesh market. Statistics shows that child mortaity rate reduced significantly.
Chronic care diseases like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis etc. are now very easy to manage because all types of medicines are avialble. Treatment facility also expanded tremendously.
We are also strong in lifestyle medicines like hair care, skin care, dental care products. The industry is also playing a major role in birth control, which is considered as the number one problem in Bangladesh. Also there is treatment and medicine for infertile couple.
We are actually self sufficient in medicines. Now we need to improve ourselves so that we can cover up 100% medicines and also export widely worldwide.
