Hemas Pharmaceuticals draws strength from network relationships in providing high-quality medicines

Hemas Pharmaceuticals is the industry leader in pharmaceuticals in Sri Lanka and is a part of the biggest sector in the diversified corporate, Hemas Holdings PLC. Jude Fernando, a veteran leader with a track record in multiple industries, who helms the business as Managing Director at Hemas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and its subsidiary Hemas Surgicals and Diagnostics Ltd. for the past two years, speaks of the pharmaceutical industry’s current landscape and the role of manufacturers in maintaining provision of high-quality medicines. Following are excerpts:

Q: As someone who grew and evolved with the company, how would you say Hemas has historically served the Sri Lankan consumer?

 With making healthful living happen across the communities as our core purpose, Hemas has a range of high-quality personal care and stationary brands which are household names in Sri Lanka. In healthcare, Hemas Hospitals has made a name for itself for giving the highest levels of care with state-of-the-art health facilities. 

Speaking of Hemas Pharmaceuticals, I believe the biggest thing we have done is giving consumers the choice in the kind of medicines they have access to. We have made both innovative and branded generic medicines available in Sri Lanka. Many of the global pharmaceutical MNCs as well as regional giants are represented in Sri Lanka by Hemas. 

In addition to serving patients, the healthcare system itself has benefited from Hemas innovation, which has helped to contribute towards shaping the healthcare landscape of this country. We continue to engage with the regulators and the government through our various companies and industry bodies to enhance value creation in the services we provide to our people. 

Whilst there are business activities that benefits consumers, Hemas Holdings has also done a lot to serve the communities through purpose driven projects and the Hemas Outreach Foundation, which has been active for around two decades, focusing on making healthful living happen across the nation because we believe every family deserves a better tomorrow. 

Q: The continuous provision of high-quality medicines is essential for the healthy functioning of any country. How has Hemas Pharmaceuticals helped the nation in acquiring essential medicines?

 First, by giving the Sri Lankan patients the choice. In the pharmaceuticals industry you have innovator products, the top-notch product for any sicknesses. These are expensive. Then, you have generic medication, which are less expensive. At Hemas, we have given this choice to the people, as we represent both top notch innovator brands as well as the large generic brands. We are not just the largest pharma player overall, we are also the largest in many of the therapeutic classes in the country. Therefore, Hemas has provided services and medicine in every aspect to the Sri Lankan society.

Having the world’s best pharmaceutical companies with us also means we have made their products accessible to the Sri Lankan market when most needed. 

As an example, when COVID first broke out and vaccines were being developed as a core response to it, two of the biggest manufacturers were Astra Zeneca and Pfizer, who are both principals we represent in the country. Whilst it was the government that made the purchases, our relationship with them meant that we were able to support the Government in many ways in facilitating the procurement of the medication. 

Furthermore, during the first wave of the pandemic when many businesses came to a standstill due to uncertainty, our teams ensured that pharmaceutical needs are met across the, making certain that not a single drug marketed by us were short of supply in the country.

Q: Taken on a global scale, where does our industry stand in terms of meeting customer needs? What more can we do to grow the industry?

 The global industry is much more advanced in comparison to Sri Lanka, both in diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. This is not to say we are not advanced, but to acknowledge that sometimes scale comes into play, and being a smaller nation, some specialised therapies are not available here. 

However, we are quite an advanced nation when it comes to healthcare and are considered a role model. We have top notch consultants in the public health sector serving patients free of charge, and medicines are given to patients free of charge, among other things. Additionally, we do have a system where if someone needs a specific therapy, it can still be brought down through the local representatives of the manufacturer on prescription by a Doctor. Therefore, although they may not be available in general due to scale issues, we are still able to make it available as the regulator has made provisions for it.

What we can do to further improve the system, is to create an even better platform for better healthcare. For this all stakeholders including the Ministry, the regulator and the private sector need to work closely on a road map towards a common objective to serve patients.

One area this roadmap needs to focus on will be introducing advanced diagnostic technologies to the country. Another factor is on using advances in digital technology, to ensure patient adherence and compliance to taking medicines, as this is pivotal for better healthcare. We must also increase the knowledge of the public on healthcare, so as to focus more on preventive rather than curative measures, which is an area that the world has evolved on a lot. These will help us move to the next level in an already advanced healthcare system.

Q: What is the public sentiment on the pharmaceutical industry in Sri Lanka? 

 Fundamentally, the pharmaceuticals industry in Sri Lanka is a price-controlled industry. The pricing points are decided by the government and not the industry. It is something that the industry players have to work with, and I believe this is a fact understood by the public to a large extent. 

Since there is a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on products, the market has different competing products at different prices and corresponding quality within this MRP. For example, one manufacturer could import an innovative product and sell it at MRP whilst another may import a more generic medication to be sold at a lower price point. This is important, as it also gives the choice to the people on what they purchase, and people are aware of it and buy the drugs at the price point they are able to afford. It also eliminates unethical practices to a degree by reducing chances of exorbitant margins which is an issue in other parts of the globe and region 

As for availability, we have experienced a serious shortage of medicine in the market in the past few months. This has affected different levels of the society, especially cancer treatments and in children’s hospitals. This is a result of the economic crisis, and the industry has been doing its best to overcome this challenge, in both the state and private sectors. We have been in constant negotiation with our suppliers to ensure a continuous supply and we work closely with the regulator and government authorities in planning the distribution of existing medicines to the most vulnerable groups in the society. The public also understand the ground situation, and this is one of the crucial times when we need to educate the community on preventive health habits because given the current context, prevention seems better bet than cure. 

Q: What does the future look like, for the pharmaceuticals industry in Sri Lanka?

 The future will be what we make of it, and how we evolve with changing times while staying true to our core purpose. This is what Hemas has done as an organisation, and what we believe the healthcare sector should as well.

Like I iterated earlier it starts with stakeholders working together on a comprehensive roadmap.

First we need to move towards more advanced yet affordable therapies that are targeted and personalised, such as Biosimilars. Treatments are advancing at a rapid rate. However, the newer therapies are costly. Availability of biosimilar of the newer molecules when available will be a major advancement for a nation like ours provided we have stringent regulations in place. 

Second thing we need is digital disruption to improve patient treatment, in both the public and private sectors. An example would be having a digital record of a patient’s medical history accessible to any healthcare provider, something already prevalent in the developed world. This would greatly reduce prescription errors which is a major issue in drug dispensing. Encouragingly, there already are initiatives being taken in this regard, and more stakeholder engagement and consensus will be necessary from policy at governance levels and adherence at the private and public sector levels, with everyone working together to make implementation a reality. 

Finally, I would like to reiterate the need for enhancement of knowledge in all stakeholders, including pharmacists, caregivers, as well as patients. This ensures that people will undergo treatment and take medicines knowing what it means for them, rather than just follow instructions. This would also be a massive support for prescribers to improve patient adherence to therapy.

Hemas will always be ready to spearhead and give leadership to these initiatives, for which it is essential that all stakeholders come together on an even footing. As a company that believes in making healthful living happen, we aim to move forward together as an industry and country to bring the best healthcare for the people.