With per capita drug consumption at just $9, Indonesia "offers huge potential"

The pharmaceutical market in Indonesia is estimated to be worth around $2.0 billion annually, but spending per capita is only $9.00 compared with $60.00 in Singapore, indicating the huge potential available for expansion, reports local journalist PJ Sujarto.

The major local drug companies belong to a non-profit organization - the International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Group, established about 30 years ago, which includes all 33 international research-based pharmaceutical companies operating in Indonesia.

In an interview, the executive director of the association, Parulian Simanjuntak, said that "the IPMG plays an important role in helping improve the quality of the country's human resources but, in Indonesia, the industry is plagued with a number of problems requiring urgent attention, including high prices, fake drugs and code of conduct issues. Over the years member companies have continuously launched new drugs to control and treat many diseases and mitigate suffering."