House Commission IX of the Republic of Indonesia Commends Phyto-pharmaceutical Production Facility and Advocates for Inclusion of Indigenous Modern Medicines in National Health Insurance

In an effort to bolster the resilience and quality of the national pharmaceutical industry, the House of Representatives Commission IX, led by Deputy Chairperson Drg. Putih Sari conducted a targeted work visit to PT Ferron Par Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Dexa Group, in Cikarang on Thursday, November 7, 2024. The visit aimed to observe the production facilities for phytopharmaceuticals and the pharmaceutical and traditional medicine manufacturing processes that ensure safety and quality.

Drg. Putih Sari commended the production facilities at PT Ferron Par Pharmaceuticals, which meet the standards for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for pharmaceuticals and Good Manufacturing Practice for Traditional Medicines (Cara Pembuatan Obat dan Obat Tradisional yang Baik (CPOTB)). These standards ensure product safety, efficacy, quality, affordability, and compliance with halal requirements. 

"We also encourage acceleration toward pharmaceutical industry resilience in line with the directives of President Prabowo Subianto's Asta Cita initiative, which emphasizes the prioritization and development of domestic pharmaceutical raw materials," she stated.

Putih Sari emphasized the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to support the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in research initiatives utilizing Indonesia's abundant natural resources. She further encouraged pharmaceutical companies like PT Ferron Par Pharmaceuticals to continue advancing Research and Development (R&D) in using natural ingredients for traditional medicines and health supplements.

"Commission IX advocates for accelerated resilience in the pharmaceutical industry, including traditional medicines and health supplements, in line with the Health Law mandate and President Prabowo Subianto's Instruction on accelerating the Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Industries. This includes strengthening raw materials for traditional medicines and health supplements, given Indonesia's wealth of natural resources," she added.

Meanwhile, fellow Commission IX member Cellica Nurrachadiana highlighted Indonesia's rich natural resources, which hold vast potential for medical development through research.

"This has significant implications for local farmers across Indonesia. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 plants in Indonesia could be developed for research and product development in traditional medicine. This would enable self-sufficiency in indigenous Indonesian traditional medicines and contribute to economic growth for local farmers across the country," explained Cellica.

Prof. Raymond Tjandrawinata, Commissioner of PT Ferron Par Pharmaceuticals, presented research and development efforts surrounding Indonesian Indigenous Modern Medicines (Obat Modern Asli Indonesia (OMAI)), a key focus of Dexa Group. 

"OMAI demonstrates Indonesia's rich natural resources transformed into scientifically credible and trusted healthcare solutions. We believe that with continuous research and collaboration with various stakeholders, OMAI can become a product of substantial benefit for the Indonesian people and globally," remarked Prof. Raymond.

PT Ferron Par Pharmaceuticals Director, Mr. Benny Sutisna Suwarno, elaborated on the facility's national and international certifications.

"Since 2008, we have received certification from the UK-MHRA. Since then, we have actively exported products to the UK, and we continue to do so today, with expanded reach into Poland and the Netherlands. We have also undergone audits by Portugal, where we are pursuing certification and certifications from Australia and Germany," he explained.

Mr. Benny continued noting that Ferron also manufactures cancer drugs to support pharmaceutical self-sufficiency, currently meeting demands for the National Health Insurance program (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN)).

Commission IX Supports Inclusion of Indigenous Modern Medicines in JKN

Deputy Chairperson of Commission IX, Putih Sari, expressed her support for including certified phyto-pharmaceutical products within the National Health Insurance program (JKN). She affirmed that Commission IX would ensure that phytopharmaceutical products are promoted across all levels of the healthcare system.

"Commission IX will ensure policies supporting the inclusion of phytopharmaceutical products in the JKN program, enabling self-sufficiency in domestic medicines, supplements, and traditional medicines from upstream to downstream," Putih Sari stated.

According to Putih Sari, the insights gained from this visit will be utilized in upcoming parliamentary discussions to develop policies that further strengthen and support the growth of Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry. "The outcomes of this visit will serve as reference material in our parliamentary work meetings," she concluded.