Problems For Vietnam's Pharma Industry

Sales of Vietnam's 296 state- and privately-owned pharmaceuticalmanufacturing plants reached 4.50 billion dong (around $409 million) last year. However, the actual income generated by these plants was much lower than the value of their 19% market share, as a large proportion of their products was made using imported ingredients, according to the Vietnam Courier.

Vietnam's 37 companies licensed to conduct foreign trade in pharmaceuticals exported drugs worth $11.7 million in 1996, down 12% on the previous year, and their imports amounted to $350 million, up 25% on 1995.

Not Up To GMP Standards None of the country's pharmaceutical production plants meet international Good Manufacturing Practice standards. And, the VC comments, their distribution system is little better since very few Vietnamese producers know their market, failing to manufacture those products for which there is local demand.