Turkish Pharmaceutical Industry Off to a Fast Start in 2023

Turkish Pharmaceutical Industry Starts 2023 at Pace Despite supply difficulties and cost increases during the pandemic, the Turkish pharmaceutical industry, which rapidly produced medicines both included in Covid-19 treatment protocols and required for all other treatments while ensuring uninterrupted access to medicines for the public and healthcare workers, has also started 2023 at a fast pace. Most recently, the pharmaceutical industry, which has further accelerated production due to seasonal illnesses, continues to take important steps in ensuring public access to medicines. In a statement made by the Pharmaceutical Industry Employers' Association, it emphasized that 'pharmaceutical production continues uninterrupted to meet the needs of our citizens'. The Turkish pharmaceutical industry, which worked around the clock to ensure uninterrupted access to medicines for patients during the difficult conditions of the pandemic, continues to increase production today in a way that will meet the additional demand created by rising seasonal illnesses despite all problems in the global supply chain. Savaş Malkoç, Secretary General of the Pharmaceutical Industry Employers' Association, made a statement on the matter: "In addition to disruptions in global trade and supply chains that started in 2020 due to the pandemic and have not yet been fully resolved, excessive increases in commodity prices and production costs have placed a heavy burden on our industry as on every sector. However, the Turkish pharmaceutical industry, which did not leave our citizens without medicines even during the pandemic period, continues production at full capacity during this difficult period with this awareness," he said. Malkoç continued: "No one should doubt the production capacity and strength of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry. Our production facilities meeting international standards continue their operations continuously. Thanks to this world-standard infrastructure, as our President has also stated, we meet 90% of our country's pharmaceutical needs through domestic production. The membership of the Ministry of Health's Turkey Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency in the International Pharmaceutical Regulatory Association and the International Compliance Council is the clearest indicator of our country's global competence in pharmaceutical development, production and inspection. Our government and industry have never left our society without medicines until now, and there is no question of doing so. With the confidence of our public institutions in the competence and strength of our sector, thanks to our investments, human resources, technology and experience, the Turkish pharmaceutical industry will also make its mark successfully in 2023. The increase in the amount of medicines currently being offered to the market is sufficient to meet the needs and expectations of our citizens."

"Access to medicines for our citizens is our duty"

Savaş Malkoç continued his remarks: "It would certainly not be correct to say that there are no problems with pharmaceutical supply during this period. There are global supply chain problems reflected in the press in countries such as Germany, France and England. Due to the additional demand created by seasonal illnesses that have increased significantly this year following the Covid pandemic, there are global pharmaceutical shortages, particularly regarding cold medicines and antibiotics. Nevertheless, as the Turkish pharmaceutical industry with a history of over 100 years, despite all the raw materials, packaging materials and active pharmaceutical ingredient supply difficulties we face, we work and produce with great dedication around the clock at full capacity to meet our citizens' pharmaceutical needs. With our industry's dedicated work and the measures taken by the Ministry of Health, the problem of access to medicines is rapidly decreasing day by day. Thanks to this, it is possible to say that compared to many countries in Europe, this problem is felt much less." Malkoç also noted that the strategic importance of our country having a strong domestic pharmaceutical industry is better understood during these times when there are problems with global pharmaceutical supply, as during the pandemic period. Malkoç concluded by saying, "We are going through periods when we understand how vital it is that our domestic and national pharmaceutical industry, which we have created with great difficulties to ensure stable access to medicines for our citizens, is supported by our government with all its resources."