BANGKOK, Jan 14 – Manufacturing of Thai herbal medicine will be upgraded to meet international standards and become competitive in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, a senior health official said today.
Boonchai Somboonsuk, secretary general of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), said it is the FDA’s policy to promote Thai herbal medicine and improve its production quality to meet the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to contribute to consumer confidence in Thai products and boost Thailand’s competitive edge in the Southeast Asian region.
Good manufacturing practices are production procedures and testing practices to ensure quality products. Pharmaceutical companies must follow GMP procedures in order to safeguard consumers’ health.
Dr Boonchai said among the more than 700 manufacturers of Thai herbal medicine, some smaller ones lack capabilities to compete in the AEC in the next three years.
The FDA is seeking government financial support in strengthening their competitiveness by hiring experts to help them with their product, manufacturing, laboratory tests and quality control development. FDA-certified Thai herbal medicine is guaranteed for their safety and healing quality.
Dr Boonchai said more foreign herbal medicine will flow into Thailand in the near future, giving consumers more choices in the pharmaceutical market.
The Thai FDA is ready to certify quality herbal medicine from abroad, he said.
