Producing drugs locally

By Tamiru Geda

Intravenous injections are drugs needed by many hospitalized patients. Bedridden patients in critical conditions, unable to take solid food or medicines would use this method of administering drugs in liquid form. Normal Saline and Dextrose are two of the most common intravenous medicines administered in most hospitals. These medicines are used to replace blood volumes lost by patients.
Although many hospitals round the world and here in Ethiopia largely make use of these drugs through import, attempts to produce and avail the drugs locally would be much more of a progress for them. It would also provide a viable alternative for hospitals apart from buying imported drugs. The Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Administration, EPHARM was until recently the only plant producing these drugs locally. In 1998 a private contender came to the scene by the name of Pharmacure. A private company belonging to the Saudi business tycoon Sheikh Mohammad Al-amoudi’s Pharmacure produces intravenous fluids as well as fluid holding plastic bags.
According to Tesfaye Degefu, General Manager of the plant, Pharmacure produces the drugs and bags with a quality controlling mechanism supported by computers. “ For the moment we are content with conducting market feasibility studies in Zimbabwe and Uganda, and we believe that the studies are promising,” he said.
Also in the pipeline is the production of the much-needed life prolonging drugs or anti-retroviral medicines for HIV patients. This is the first plant trying to avail the medicine locally. The fact that the attempt aims at availing the drugs at affordable price is a commendable gesture.
The other plant producing intravenous drugs is Biosol, also a private company that came into existence in the year 2000. A firm that has opened employment opportunity for well over 50 people, Biosol produces Dextrose 5%, Normal Saline, Ringer Lactose, and Dextrose Insulin and sells them at affordable market prices. “ Water for injection grade and distilled computerized system has been put in place to ensure the quality of our products. Since medicine, unlike other products, needs utmost care and precaution we undertake production with all the necessary care,” W/ro Muna Abebe, Acting General Manager of the Plant told Capital.
Built on a 5000 Square meters of land, Biosol has won recognition among many governmental and private hospitals and clinics for the supply of quality and standard intravenous life-saving drugs.
W/ro Muna nevertheless discusses problems encountered by the firm with regard to market prices. Although Biosol, like many pharmaceutical firms around the world produces quality products that entail huge expense it is forced to avail the products only at market prices. “ We are far from profitability. The volume of production has been dwindling from year to year. Owing to minimal market prices and increasing number of importers we have been forced to produce only below one third of our capacity.
Muna nevertheless anticipates hope in the ambition of the plant to try and start producing other types of drugs. She believes that there is now a favorable atmosphere for the production of drugs locally.