Business Reporter
PLAYERS in the pharmaceutical industry in Zimbabwe meet in Bulawayo today for a three-day indaba aimed at unlocking economic opportunities in the sector and improving professional health practice.

Capacity utilisation in the sector has been severely crippled in the last decade in the wake of liquidity challenges, general economic slowdown and impact of cheap imports and donated drugs.

Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe spokesperson and conference convenor Sikhumbuzo Mpofu said the annual event would be attended by local and regional pharmacists from across the board, manufacturers, retailers, regulators and policy makers at a city hotel.

“This great indaba is being held under the theme ‘Evolving Face of Pharmacy’, which accurately captures the versatile and adaptive nature of the pharmacy practice.

“As times change we also change with them in terms of practice standards skills and competencies to meet the changing needs of today’s patient and also in response to changing disease patterns and ever increasing burden disease has on scarce financial resources especially in the developing world,” said Mpofu.

South African pharmaceutical guru, Storvas Nicolaou, from Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited – a multinational holding company for pharmaceutical concerns and the largest drug company in Africa – will be the guest of honour.

Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) chairman and businessman Nigel Chanakira and academics from local universities will also attend. Mpofu said regional and local experts will be given the opportunity to share their experiences in different fields of the pharmaceutical practice.

“We intend to collaborate, integrate and bench mark and come up with best practices to improve patient outcomes. We also need to discuss how to tap the market opportunity in Africa and improve our operations,” he said.

Mpofu said besides the non-communicable diseases (NCD) being on the increase and the need to respond to this challenge, the pharmaceutical industry was also faced with the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

“There will be presentations and discussions around this subject and what the pharmacist can do to mitigate this challenge,” he said.

The sector has the potential to attract billions in investment with capacity to supply up to 80 percent local requirements.

Caps Holdings, Datlabs, Ecomed, Graniteside Chemicals, Gulf Drug Company, Natpharm, Plus Five, Pharmanova, Varichem and Zimpharm are some of the major pharmaceutical companies in Zimbabwe.

The event ends on Saturday.

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