94 Percent of Drug Raw Materials Still Imported, BPOM Investigates National Risks

Head of the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Taruna Ikrar explained the need for drug raw materials in Padang City, Friday (6/2/2026). ANTARA/Muhammad Zulfikar

PADANG - Head of the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Taruna Ikrar emphasized that meeting the needs of raw materials for drugs in the country is an important part of efforts to strengthen national resilience.

"Meeting the needs for drug raw materials is part of national resilience. Because the drug is actually a basic need and very important," said Taruna while giving a public lecture at Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, Antara, Friday, February 6.

Taruna revealed that currently there are around 15,267 drug distribution permits in Indonesia. However, around 94 percent of these drugs still use imported raw materials.

"This means that only about six percent of drug raw materials can be produced domestically, and that is only about 42 items," he said.

According to him, this condition shows Indonesia's high dependence on other countries in the fulfillment of drug raw materials, including Belgium, China, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States.

Taruna emphasized that the need for drugs and vaccines cannot be equated with other needs such as food. If food shortages can still be substituted, drug shortages can actually be fatal.

"If there is a shortage of food, it can still be replaced with other foods, but if you need medicine and it is not available, it is very dangerous," he said.

To reduce import dependence, BPOM encourages the downstream processing of drug raw materials, including the development of antibiotics from natural materials available in the country.

BPOM, said Taruna, also opened space for collaboration with universities and the pharmaceutical industry to strengthen the production of national drug raw materials.

"We have embraced 272 pharmaceutical industries and campuses to contribute. If the research results are good, of course it can be commercialized so that more drug raw materials are developed in the country," he said.