Dexa Group, as a national pharmaceutical company, is committed to meeting the quality of Indonesian natural raw materials as the content of Indonesian Indigenous Modern Medicines, beginning with cultivation, harvesting, and post-harvest processes and continuing through the manufacturing process by Good Traditional Medicine Manufacturing standards (CPOTB). This is necessary to preserve the ecosystem’s consistency for developing natural raw materials and applying phytopharmaceuticals derived from natural components indigenous to Indonesia to attain the health system’s resilience and national pharmaceutical independence.
Mr. Edward Widjojokusumo, DSC Plant Manager PT. Dexa Medica stated that Dexa Group made various efforts to ensure the quality and sustainability of natural phytopharmaceutical ingredients in Indonesia, including seeking natural elements from multiple sources with different geographical distributions and educating suppliers and farmers through audits and training.
“Dexa Medica, for example, uses risk management by searching for numerous sources in Karanganyar and Temanggung near Mount Merapi. Dexa Medica, for example, catches snakehead fish in South Sulawesi, whereas others search for them in Palembang. Dexa Medica obtains snakehead fish to ensure the appropriate processing of raw materials. As a result, we can help government initiatives to reduce stunting,” said Mr. Edward on Wednesday (24/8/2022) at the P4TO-PED Business Matching event with Industry and Business in the Traditional Medicines and Cosmetics Sector in Bali.
Furthermore, Dexa Group regularly uses profiling to identify the optimum components for producing high-quality nutritional goods. “Dexa Medica’s method of selecting phytopharmaceutical source materials begins with chemical profiling. For example, while profiling legundi from Karanganyar, indicators or important chemicals are unavailable. This procedure is critical for determining whether providers satisfy the standards,” Mr. Edward said.
Dexa Group also maintains the natural raw material development ecosystem’s consistency. Mr. Edward claims that high-grade natural components are the foundation of phytopharmaceuticals’ superior quality. Dexa Group is also willing to work with micro, small, and medium-sized businesses to get natural components for phytopharmaceuticals.
“Consistency is crucial when working with natural raw materials. The Ministry of Health’s assistance, particularly with the Phytopharmaceutical Formulary, is much appreciated by Dexa Medica. This is done to ensure the industry’s continuity and sustainability. As a result, the industry receives high quality, and the farmers receive reliable revenue. Hence, it works both ways,” he said.
The Ministry of Health prioritizes the Development of Phytopharmaceuticals and the Independence of Indonesian Natural Raw Materials
Director of Pharmaceutical Production and Distribution of the Directorate General of Pharmacy and Medical Devices of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Agusdini Banun Saptaningsih, said that the development of phytopharmaceuticals is the main focus of the current government. One of the steps is to facilitate the Equipment for Post-Harvest Processing of Medicinal Plants (P4TO) and Equipment for Regional Extract Centers (PED) to encourage the supply of standardized natural raw materials.
“For natural medicines to compete on a national and international scale, the government actively promotes them. P4TO and PED are crucial in any nation’s effort to improve health resilience. For this reason, the Ministry of Health facilitates P4TO and PED to support the growth of ingredient’s natural standard,” said Mrs. Agusdini on the same occasion.
Mrs. Agusdini said that Indonesia is endowed with natural resources that might be used to create herbal remedies and phytopharmaceuticals. It is recommended to produce and utilize more phytopharmaca, a natural substance.
The business matching program between P4TO and PED recipient areas and business actors is a priority in ensuring the availability of standardized natural raw materials to support the independence of natural raw materials, especially phytopharmaceuticals raw materials, according to Mrs. Agusdini. “Increasing the use of domestic products is becoming a priority for the government,” she added.
According to Prof. dr. Laksono Trisnantoro, Special Staff of the Minister of Health in the area of Drug and Medical Device Industry Resilience, the development of P4TO and PED requires paying attention to industrial concerns. Because it generates a significant amount of economic added value and is highly competitive, the pharmaceutical and medical device business falls within the umbrella of industries that the government is accelerating.
“The improvement of the welfare of cultivators of medicinal plants and small- and medium-sized businesses is another benefit of the growth of natural raw materials and phytopharmaceuticals. Additionally, the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD), available from the APBD and services, serves as the legal foundation for P4TO and PED. Its purpose is to promote the local economy,” he explained.
In the meantime, Dr. Ni Wayan Murdani, Head of Health Resources of the Bali Provincial Health Office, revealed the challenges in providing phytopharmaceuticals at the district/municipality health offices. They were related to the slowness of information delivery, the public health center’s courage in planning, and the absence of phytopharmaceuticals drugs in the e-catalog, which specifically made it difficult to find items.
“Because they are waiting for an assurance that the purchase can be sustainable, not all health centers are willing to arrange phytopharmaceuticals. For instance, 55.56% of Klungkung’s nine health clinics suggested buying phytopharmaceuticals. The Special Allocation Fund serves as the funding source for the budget for the purchase of phytopharmaceuticals through electronic purchasing, “Mrs. Ni Wayan Murdani remarked.
Participation of Dexa Group in the 2nd Technofarmalkes
The second Technofarmalkes event, with the topic ‘Progressing Steps to Achieve National Resilience in Pharma and Medical Device,’ was held in Bali on the 23rd and 24th of August 2022.
Dr. Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Deputy Minister of Health, stated that the series of Technofarmalkes events was one of the initiatives to undertake health transformation, namely in the change of the health resilience system and the transformation of health technology.
“This event aims to increase innovation in the field of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in the country through various efforts. Such as product innovation, use of health technology, or policy formulation,” said Dr. Dante, Deputy Minister of Health, during the opening remarks for the online 2nd Technofarmalkes exhibition on Wednesday (24/8/2022).
This year’s Technofarmalkes activities focus on downstream pharmaceutical preparations and medical devices, research ecosystems, and policy dissemination. Hopefully, this event will lead to diverse cooperation in pharmaceutical and medical device research and development.
Dexa Group also took part in the event, which lasted two days. Dexa Group set up an exhibition booth at the event in the Fitofarmaka category, which PT represented. Dexa Medica with Indonesia Indigenous Modern Medicine (IIMM) products and the medicinal raw materials category, which was represented by PT. Ferron Par Pharmaceutical with Omeprazole and Esomeprazole products.