Myanmar’s government is taking major steps to increase the quality of healthcare and medical products in the country. 

In his recent article, my colleague Bertrand Sauvageon  highlighted how the government, together with several leading multinational organizations, is making healthcare accessible to all in Myanmar. Here, I would like to bring your attention to the local authorities’ efforts in eliminating the presence of unregulated medicines in the country.

Stepping up on administrative efforts

The government is aiming to significantly improve the quality of medicines available to the Myanmar people and at the same time give them confidence that the products they do buy are approved, safe and effective. As pharmacies are prohibited from selling unregulated drugs including expired products, authorities are stepping up on checks to ensure that pharmacies have a pharmacy license, a regulated-drugs license and a systematic storage system in their operating premise.

The Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently filed a total of 25 cases against pharmacies caught selling substandard, falsified and illegal medical products during the first half of the year. Last year, the FDA sued 99 pharmacies for similar violations.

It is indeed heartening to witness these actions being taken by the FDA, especially following my last meeting with the FDA’s Director General Dr. Than Htut and his senior officers in May this year to discuss matters related to the development of the healthcare environment in Myanmar.

Moving forward, the government will also be introducing the country’s first National Drug Safety Policy by the end of this year, aiming to put a stop to counterfeit drugs in the market. The policy will include guidelines to tighten import and manufacturing regulations, monitor sales and distribution, curtail source of fake drugs, improve storage in hospitals and pharmacies as well as outline the punishment for violators.

The FDA is going all out to advise and educate people on the existence of sub-quality drugs, unregistered, fake and expired medicines. They are informing consumers that the medication they buy in pharmacies must bear an official Myanmar registration number and that they are also responsible for checking that the product has not passed its expiry date.

Drug testing goes mobile

The FDA have also started introducing mobile testing laboratories in which pharmacies and medical wholesalers will be randomly inspected to ensure the products sold to patients are approved. Using advanced testing facilities, inspectors can quickly assess the quality of a given drug. If any products are discovered to be illegally imported or are counterfeit items, the business owner could face imprisonment.

Fake medicines are a danger to everyone in Myanmar. I believe that while what the local government is already doing is highly commendable, it is also up to the manufacturers, distributors, retailers and, not least of all, the public to play their part in countering this dangerous practice in Myanmar.

Having been present in the market for more than two decades, DKSH plays its part through ensuring product quality, from the moment it arrives at our distribution center to the customer’s hands. And like we have done in the past years, we will also continue to work closely with the FDA to educate customers nationwide about the importance of product handling.

If you have any questions regarding the supply or distribution of pharmaceutical products in Myanmar or South East Asia, do not hesitate to contact me.