Why Is The Pharma Industry Facing Challenges That Other Industries Dont?
India is among the top pharma exporters of the world, and the largest exporter of generic medicines. Despite being considered a third world country for the longest time, the pharmaceutical sector of India has scaled great heights business-wise and also in terms of pharma research.
The nature of the products and services offered by the pharma sector directly influence the lives and health of people using them. Medicines are capable of making a difference between life and death in several cases. Therefore, the functioning of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in India right from procurement of raw material to quality control of finished product is subjected to stringent rules and laws. While this is an indispensable step to ensure nothing short of superior quality of end results, the constant vigilance poses a set of genuine challenges to the pharma industry as a whole.
What Are The Challenges Pharma Manufacturers Encounter?
● Establishment And Maintenance Of Suitable Set Up
Pharma manufacturers are bound by several rules, limitations and laws when it comes to the actual area where the manufacturing of medicines takes place. Every tablet manufacturer in India has to pay close attention to the levels of hygiene, temperature, ventilation, sterile environment, material used to design the manufacturing tools and other important details that may affect the quality of the pharmaceutical products. Certain standards set by the local governing bodies have to be achieved while establishing and maintaining the pharma manufacturing units.
● Contract Manufacturing
Contract manufacturing is a type of outsourcing which pharma companies regularly resort to , to reduce their work burden and to focus solely on the business aspect of their company. While this reduces considerable efforts for pharma companies, the need to monitor and test the work done by the contract manufacturers is a responsibility that the pharma companies must bear. Additionally, issuing precise manufacturing instructions and other scientific research related to the manufacturing process must be coordinated by the pharma companies.
● Financial Constraints
With all the rules and laws surrounding it, the manufacturing process for any drug becomes a rather pricey affair. Manufacturers must bear the cost of setting up the manufacturing unit, maintaining the equipment and manufacturing set up, storing, packaging and transporting ready goods. Staff hired to work in pharma manufacturing units must be trained to handle their daily duties. It is also important to conduct routine health check ups for the staff to maintain the required standards of hygiene and safety for pharma manufacturing processes. Both these factors cause an increase in the already high costs born by pharma companies.
A combination of all the above mentioned factors and several other factors makes the job of pharma manufacturers rather difficult. Despite all the challenges the Indian pharma sector faces, it is one of the top pharma exporters of the world.