Identifying the Challenges and Discussing about Current Situation of the Iranian Pharmaceutical Industry Based on a Systematic Analysis of Experts Opinion
Subject Areas : Business StrategyAbdollah Jassbi 1 , Mostafa Jafari 2 , Mohammad Mahdavi Mazdeh 3 , Mansour Maleki 4
1 - Department of Industrial Engineering, Industrial Engineering Faculty, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Industrial Engineering, Industrial Engineering Faculty, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Industrial Engineering, Industrial Engineering Faculty, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
4 - Department of Industrial Engineering, Industrial Engineering Faculty, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Qualitative Content Analysis, Challenges and Strengths, Pharmaceutical Industry,
Abstract :
Domestic pharmaceutical industry, as one of the strategic high-technology industries, has a significant impact on individuals’ health. Despite its success in providing maximum medicine domestically, the industry, with its more than 110 active manufacturing companies in the form of semi-governmental holdings, private companies, and agile knowledge-based companies, faces challenges at the policy and operational levels. The challenges, situations, and some strengths of the industry would be identified in the present study using the scientific research method. To identify and review the challenges and status and also to explain the improvement strategies, in-depth interviews with 8 experts in the pharmaceutical industry in senior management positions in the manufacturing industry, regulators, and related syndicates planned and qualitative content analysis method using MAXQDA 2020 software platform applied to identify the challenges, situations, and strengths of the industry. According to the qualitative content analysis, challenges related to inappropriate policy-making, limited financial resources, and inappropriate pricing policies in the industry have been identified as the most important obstacles versus industry development, and on the other hand, the maximum supply of medicine in the country, appropriate knowledge base and desirable quality of some products are listed as strengths of the industry. Efforts to reform macro policies and industry strategies at the policy and regulatory levels, including private sector development, commitment to quality improvement, and the development of new pricing methods, are among the most important future solutions to cope with the challenges of the industry.
Amirshahi, M.A., Haghighinasab, M., Habibi, A.Z.A.M. and Ahmadiani, A., 2009. A case study on branding in Iran pharmaceutical industry. Pejouhandeh, 14(2), pp.99-107. [Persian]
Ashrafi Shahmirzadi, N., Abdollahiasl, A. and Kebriaeezadeh, A., 2021. Assessment of Influential Variables in the Pricing of Locally Manufactured Pharmaceuticals: Current Challenging Situation in Iran. Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 20(1), pp.283-295.
Babapour, J., Gholipourb, A. and Mehralian, G., 2018. Human resource management challenges to develop pharmaceutical industry: evidence from developing countries. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 17(Suppl2), p.224.
Bagheri Lankarani, K., 2019. Health in Iran; 40 Years after the Islamic Revolution. Shiraz E-Medical Journal. 20(2), pp.1-3.
Barouni, M., Jalaei, S.A. and Jafari, S., 2020. The Effect of Exchange Rate Uncertainty on Import of Medical and Pharmaceutical Products in Iran. Health and Development Journal, 5(1), pp.13-23.
Cheraghali, A.M., 2013. Current status of biopharmaceuticals in Iran's pharmaceutical market. Generics and Biosimilars Initiative Journal, 2(1), pp.26-31.
Cheraghali, A.M., 2017. Trends in Iran pharmaceutical market. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 16(1), p.1.
Danaei, G., Farzadfar, F., Kelishadi, R., Rashidian, A., Rouhani, O.M., Ahmadnia, S., Ahmadvand, A., Arabi, M., Ardalan, A., Arhami, M. and Azizi, M.H., 2019. Iran in transition. The Lancet, 393(10184), pp.1984-2005.
Davari, M., Walley, T. and Haycox, A., 2011. Pharmaceutical policy and market in Iran: past experiences and future challenges. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, 2(1), pp.47-52.
Doshmangir, L., Bazyar, M., Majdzadeh, R. and Takian, A., 2019. So near, so far: four decades of health policy reforms in Iran, achievements and challenges. Archives of Iranian medicine, 22(10), pp.592-605.
Elhami, G.H. and Maleki, M.R., 2008. Designing a model of drug quality assurance for Iran. The Horizon of Medical Sciences, 14(3), pp.49-63. [Persian]
Fardazar, F.E., Asiabar, A.S., Safari, H., Asgari, M., Saber, A. and Azar, A.A.E.F., 2019. Policy analysis of Iranian pharmaceutical sector; A qualitative study. Risk management and healthcare policy, 12, p.199.
Goulding, C., 2002. Grounded theory: A practical guide for management, business and market researchers. Sage.
Hashemi-Meshkini, A., 2014. Making the public health and industrial objectives balanced; the big challenge of Iran’s food and drug organization. Iranian journal of public health, 43(5), p.693.
Heidari M, Salmani H, Nazari Y., 2006. Usage of Failure Mode & EffectAnalysis Method (FMEA) for safety assessment in a drug manufacture. Iran Occupational Health Journal, 3(1), pp. 70-75. [Persian]
Heidari M, Salmani H, Nazari Y., 2006. Usage of Failure Mode & EffectAnalysis Method (FMEA) for safety assessment in a drug manufacture. Iran Occupational Health Journal, 3(1), pp. 70-75.
Heidari, H., Kahriz, A.R. and Mohammadzadeh, Y., 2019. Stock market behavior of pharmaceutical industry in Iran and macroeconomic factors. Economic Change and Restructuring, 52(3), pp.255-277.
Hosseinzadeh, A., Yektadoost, A., Hozouri, H., Dinarvand, R. and Kebriaeezadeh, A., 2015. Quality assurance status in iranian pharmaceutical industry: A survey. Journal of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management, 1(1/2), pp.14-21.
Kazemi M, Moqimi SM, PourEzzat AA., 2019. Identifying dynamic capabilities in the pharmaceutical industry using grounded theory. Journal of Future Studies Management, 30(2), pp.1-11.
Kian, M.J., Hadian, M. and Ghaffari, S., 2020. Factors affecting pharmaceutical industry enforcements in Iran and selected countries. Archives of Pharmacy Practice, 1, p.95.
Miremadi, T., 2018. The Challenge of International Sanctions against Iranian Radio-pharmaceutical Industry. Journal of Pharmaceutical & Health Sciences, 6(1), pp.53-70.
Moghbeli, M.A., Kalantari, A.R., Noori Hekmat, S., Lorafshar, E., Koushki, M.S. and Dehnavieh, R., 2019. Challenges of Health Technology Incubators in Iran: A Qualitative Study. Evidence Based Health Policy, Management and Economics, 3(3), pp.222-230.
MomeniRad A, AliAbadi KH, FarDanesh H, Mazini N. Qualitative content analysis in research tradition: nature, stages and validity of the results. Ecucational Measurement. 2013;22;4(14):187-222. [Persian]
Noroozian M, Rangriz H, Eslambolchi AR., 2019. Designing a General Competency-Based Selection Model for the Administrative System of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Grounded Theory Approach: Case Study of Iran Health Insurance Organization. The Iranian Journal of Health Insurance, 3(1), pp.34-43. [Persian]
Rasekh, H.R., Mehralian, G. and Vatankhah-Mohammadabadi, A.A., 2012. Situation analysis of R & D activities: an empirical study in Iranian pharmaceutical companies. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 11(4), p.1013.
Sadati A K, Bagheri Lankarani K., 2021. Sanctions, Misinfodemcis, and Polinfodemic during COVID-19: The Need for Global Collaborations, Shiraz E-Medical Journal. 22(5), pp 1-2.
Safari, H., Arab, M., Rashidian, A., Kebriaee-Zadeh, A. and Gorji, H.A., 2018. A comparative study on different pharmaceutical industries and proposing a model for the context of Iran. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 17(4), p.1593.
Sajadi, H.S., Ehsani-Chimeh, E. and Majdzadeh, R., 2019. Universal health coverage in Iran: where we stand and how we can move forward. Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 33, p.9.
Shabaninejad HU, Madani HE, Amineh ZA, Doostzadeh EB., 2016. A framework for evaluation of pharmaceutical industry development in developing countries: Evidence from Iran. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 9(5), pp.50-54.
Shabaninejad, H., Mehralian, G., Rashidian, A., Baratimarnani, A. and Rasekh, H.R., 2014. Identifying and prioritizing industry-level competitiveness factors: evidence from pharmaceutical market. DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 22(1), pp.1-7.
Soltanzadeh, J., Elyasi, M., Bamdad Soufi, J. and Kazazi, A., 2017. Micro-Foundations of Innovation Capability in Iranian Pharma Firms; Multi case Studies. Journal of Management Improvement, 11(35), pp.163-206. [Persian]
Varmaghani, M., Hashemi-Meshkini, A., Abdollahiasl, A., Heidari, E., Zekri, H.S., Yaghoubifard, S. and Dorkoosh, F., 2016. An overview to pharmaceutical financing in Iran. Journal of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management, 2(1/2), pp.45-49.
Zaharee, A. and Davami, F., 2017. The Pharmaceutical Industry in Iran: Background and Technology Trends that Will Reshape the Market. The Development of Science and Technology in Iran, pp.153-169.
Zhang, Y. and Wildemuth, B.M., 2009. Qualitative analysis of content. Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 308, p.319.