Currently Karnataka pharma market is valued at Rs.1317crores per annum. According to ORG, 251 companies are in the fray. Karnataka is one of the few states in the country where there is a healthy mix of national as well as regional players in the market.
The per capita is sky rocketing due to buoyancy of software and other industries. In this scenario the buying power is bound to go up. This certainly will help the cause of the industry in the state on both short and long term. Also, a spurt of corporate hospitals in Bangalore is virtually making it a healthcare hub to people outside the state and the country, due to which Institutional sales of medicines are bound to go up.

Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of taxes is a positive move like that of the VAT, wherein uniform prices will prevail across the state from rural to urban markets. However, MRP rule implications in the retail levels will take time. This will enable the end-user get medicines at the right prices preventing unscrupulous elements from evading taxes.

Manpower is a major problem in pharma marketing in Karnataka. Unfortunately, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) / Call Centers / Information Technology (IT) companies have sucked in the cream of young talent, with greater opportunities, better atmosphere, and a more attractive pay pack coupled with global access. The grueling tenacious hard work that required in the pharma marketing takes the back seat. The only way to resolve this problem is to modernize the marketing machinery of the industry with better human resource policies and promising career growth.

Karnataka being a global healthcare destination both chronic and acute therapy have an equal presence. Chikangunya is a passing phase and government has taken methods to eradicate the same on a war footing. However, many pharma companies have made hay with the sun of chikangunya shining bright. Hygiene related diseases will spread in rural areas because of lack of health awareness and poor sanitation. Our westernized eating and sedentary lifestyle have lead to cardio-diabetic complications. Therefore it is imperative that the demand for drugs in chronic therapy is bound to go up in the urban set up.

The future of pharma marketing in Karnataka is bright, growing at 17.82 per cent, with a sound possibility of definite increase in volumes in the years to come by. The pharma market in Karnataka would be more promising if our government initiates industry-friendly incentives, which is bound to have positive spiraling effect on the pharma industry. Then pharma will probably stand second to the IT industry in Karnataka, hopefully.

(The author is corporate communications executive, Micro Labs, Bangalore)