ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: Pharmaceutical companies should devise strategies for creating awareness among the medical professionals about local cost-effective products, information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said here on Friday.

He was speaking at a two-day seminar on Good Manufacturing, Storage and Laboratory Practices. The event was organized by the health ministry in collaboration with WHO at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The minister said a public awareness campaign should be launched to inform the general public that locally-produced drugs were of good quality and comparable to any imported medicine.

He said a firm policy of the health ministry to improve and develop local capability for manufacturing of medicines in the country would not only strengthen the trust of the prescriber and the common man in the quality of local products, but also improve the trust of the international market.

He said the pharmaceutical industry had the potential and capability to face future challenges. He asked the local manufacturing companies to expand their exports and explore new markets to sell their medicines in countries like Afghanistan, Turkeministan and other Central Asian Republics (CARS).

Mr Ahmad said the geo-political situation of the country was ideal in the sense that it bordered regional super powers. He said this situation provided vast opportunities to the country to explore new markets.

He was of the view that in future medicine would also become a strong political weapon and therefore it was essential that Pakistan concentrated on producing quality products.

He said such workshops would not only help disseminate knowledge on manufacturing, storage and laboratory practices, but also bring regulatory agencies and the private sector closer.

Rational policies devised for improvement in the practical aspect of pharmaceutical manufacturing were the hallmark for improving the therapeutic aspects of the health care system, he said.

Chairman, Quality Control, Rauf Khalid said the pharmaceutical sector of the country had shown a growth of six to seven per cent in recent years, resulting in enhanced export of products to 40 countries.

He said Rs8 billion had been invested in the pharma industry during the last three-and-a-half years which had created 5,000 additional jobs, while its annual turnover was about $1 billion. He said 60 companies had already obtained ISO Certification.

Mr Khalid said the current good manufacturing practices covered all aspects of manufacturing and quality control including premises, personal, operating procedures, equipment and instruments, record and documentation, audit and validation techniques in addition to hygiene/sanitation programmes.