The performance and problems of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry: Is there a need to develop a national drug policy

Turkey has a big pharmaceutical industry - of the drugs consumed there, 90% are manufactured domestically. Eighty percent of this manufacturing is run by foreign companies. In this study, the performance of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry in terms of the technology and production is examined and compared with that of some other countries, and the importance of the essential drugs list and national drug policy is discussed. At the end of the study, strategies are suggested toward meeting the main current challenges in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry.