KBRN, Jakarta: The Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) has revealed that Indonesia has great potential for pharmaceutical development. However, most of Indonesia's medicines are imported.

BPOM Head, Taruna Ikrar, explained that there are 272 pharmaceutical factories and 3,009 large pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia.

“There are more than 60,000 pharmacies, drug stores, and pharmaceutical facilities throughout Indonesia,” he said at the National Working Meeting of the Indonesian Pharmacists Association in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday, August 28, 2025, as quoted by antaranews.com.

As for the development of plant-based medicinal extracts, Indonesia has more than 17,200 types of plants with medicinal potential. However, only 78 types have been standardized, and only 21 have been successfully phyto-pharmaceuticalized.

Taruna said that herbal medicine revenue could reach IDR 350 trillion per year. “The market potential is huge, but it needs to be worked on,” he said.

However, imported drugs still dominate the domestic pharmaceutical market with a value of IDR 176 trillion (USD 10.65 billion). “The export value for drugs alone is IDR 6.7 trillion, so it's many times higher, and this needs to be changed,” said Taruna.

He emphasized that BPOM continues to strive to change this system so that Indonesian medicinal products can dominate the domestic market, one of which is by implementing a healthier pharmaceutical industry.

BPOM is also detailed and meticulous in conducting reviews to provide certification related to good manufacturing practices, including monitoring and evaluating various pharmaceutical industries. “But the most crucial factor is human resources, pharmacists must be competent,” he said.

In addition, technological advances and technology transfer through international cooperation are considered crucial. The aim is to ensure that Indonesian pharmaceutical products are of high quality and export-ready.

One way to achieve this goal is to register the BPOM with the WHO. This will put Indonesia on the same level as the US, European, and other developed countries' agencies, allowing Indonesian products to be freely marketed in those countries. ***