Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), the stalwart association of pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country was instituted in 1972, Since then BAPI has played a pivotal role in shaping up the industry. The association’s members include large, medium, small, national, and foreign companies that together are responsible for manufacturing 96% of the country’s pharmaceutical production. This indeed proves the success of BAPI as a responsible and acceptable body.
History:
Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries (BAPI) was established in 1972 with 23 member pharmaceutical companies. Today, BAPI has as many as 149 pharmaceutical companies as its members. BAPI is the one and only registered and recognized Association of the private sector pharmaceutical companies of Bangladesh.BAPI has been enrolled as a member of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (IFPMA), Geneva. Though its major activities include upholding the interests of the pharmaceutical manufacturers of Bangladesh to the relevant forums, in the last few years BAPI also organized various health awareness programs, and campaigns, against spurious drugs, export potentials & problems in Bangladesh, etc.
In Bangladesh, Pharmaceuticals is one of the fastest-growing sectors. In 2004, the total size of the Pharma market of Bangladesh was estimated to be taka 30,000 million with an annual growth rate of about 10%. The Pharma Industry in Bangladesh is paying the second largest revenue to the Government’s exchequer. BAPI’s member firms are meeting 97% of the total demand of pharmaceuticals. Besides catering to local demand Bangladesh is also exporting its formulations to 62 countries of the world and the demand for export is increasing rapidly. Bangladesh’s Pharmaceutical Industry is now heading towards self-sufficiency in pharmaceuticals.
Vision:
Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), the stalwart association of pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country was instituted in 1972, Since then BAPI has played a pivotal role in shaping up the industry. The association’s members include large, medium, small, national, and foreign companies that together are responsible for manufacturing 96% of the country’s pharmaceutical production. This indeed proves the success of BAPI as a responsible and acceptable body.
Technological fineness has always been the highlight of the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh has introduced new dosage forms, inhalers, nasal sprays, and suppository technology in Bangladesh in the last few decades besides manufacturing and marketing sustained-release dosage forms, soft gelatin capsule shells, and IV fluids by the member companies.
At the same time, the total market size of locally manufactured drugs has increased rapidly from around Tk. 100 crores in 1980 to approximately Tk. 2500 crores in 2003. This indeed proves the excellence of the locally manufactured drugs and the manufacturer’s constant towards quality.
Worldwide Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is the basic concept for maintaining the quality of finished drugs and medicines. The finished drugs and medicines are manufactured in Bangladesh in accordance with the GMP criteria and within the guidelines of British Pharmacopoeia and US Pharmacopoeia. In recognition of that consistent emphasis on quality, quite a few pharmaceutical companies in our country have received internationally acclaimed “ISO 9001” certification. This has made the Bangladeshi-manufactured finished pharmaceutical products readily accepted in different countries worldwide. As of the day, Bangladesh is exporting medicines to Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Yemen, Kenya and some other countries. And the export volume is also on a constant rise. We believe that the active support of the government and proper initiative from the responsible authorities shall enable Bangladeshi pharmaceutical exporters to explore the untapped global market.
Bangladesh’s Pharmaceutical Industry is the second largest contributor to the national exchequer after the tobacco industry to date. And with the opportunities we can envision, there are reasons to consider that we can top the scenario within the shortest possible time.
Human resource management and development is another area where the pharmaceutical sector is playing a vital role. Pharmacists, Doctors, Biologists, Microbiologists, Chemists, Engineers, and Business Professionals comprise this fantastic sector of constant change. The talent and effort of almost 100,000 skilled personnel power the industry. We can proudly say that the best brains in almost all functional areas of education nurture the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh.
And Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, as the apex concern of this society is involved in focusing the cumulative efforts in the direction of constant development. Some of the salient activities of constant development. Some of the salient activities of BAPI in recent years are highlighted here.
Contacts:
Navana Osman@Link Tower (Level-4), 214, Tejgaon Gulshan Link Road, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh.
Tel: +880.2.881.6767 / 882.4163 / 988.9731
E-mail: bdass@bol-online.com