The country’s pharmaceutical industry has a huge skills shortage‚ lacking at least 12‚000 pharmacists to meet international standards. This is according to the Departments of Health, and Trade and Industry‚ which, on Wednesday, gave evidence at a joint meeting of Parliament’s economic development and health portfolio committees on the state of the pharmaceuticals industry. Swasthi Soomaroo‚ director of pharmaceuticals and medical services in the Department of Trade and Industry‚ said SA was predominantly a generic manufacturing industry and was rated 46 in the list of global exporters of pharmaceutical products. However‚ she said the industry has its own problems that need attention‚ including a skills shortage.

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