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Pharmacists’ summit to address fake drugs
Hundreds of drug shops are closed annually for dealing in fake drugs across Uganda.
What you need to know:
- Ms Rani, also the Kampala resident director for Indian-based Pharmexcil, said the summit is intended to promote local pharmaceutical dealers to enable India and Uganda continue to improve business relations in the pharmaceutical market.
Kampala. Arrangements have been finalised for a pharmaceutical summit that has attracted more than 100 companies to address the rampant cases of counterfeit drugs and their effects in the country.
The meeting is organised by Indian High Commission and Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) with the help of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PMA) and Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU).
Addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday, Ms Roja Rani, one of the organisers, said the summit, slated for Thursday at Hotel Protea, has attracted Indian pharmaceutical companies, distributors/importers of pharmaceutical products in Uganda as well as Ugandan businesses in the same sector.
Purpose
Ms Rani, also the Kampala resident director for Indian-based Pharmexcil, said the summit is intended to promote local pharmaceutical dealers to enable India and Uganda continue to improve business relations in the pharmaceutical market.
“This is more a business to business event aimed at discussing business opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector. Based on country’s requirements, the visiting delegates will be able to offer their products at affordable prices. Some of the Indian delegates may be interested in joint ventures with local companies,” she said.
“Interactions in business meetings will help Ugandan pharmaceutical industry to know about the new technologies and products,” Ms Rani added.
The PSU secretary, Mr Samuel Opio, welcomed the meeting, saying it is a strategic platform for locals to meet and interact with their Indian counterparts in order to get access to markets, investors and the latest technology.
“Any such opportunity is a welcome one. There are new innovations in this industry every day and we can only learn about them through such meetings. Big investments such as Cipla were borne out of such meetings,” Mr Opio said.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry has become the third largest producer in the world and its exports are expected to reach $20 billion by 2020.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), counterfeit medical products may contain no active ingredient, the wrong active ingredient or the wrong amount of the correct active ingredient.
