Palamy Pharma

Palamy Pharma was founded in 2000 and has been steadily growing to become one of the main players in importing and distributing pharmaceutical products in Laos. Palamy Pharma imports more than one hundred items of pharmaceutical products from Korea (Korea United Pharma), India (Medley, Tablets, Troikaa and Zeelab), Bangladesh (Incepta, ACME), Thailand (Sripasit, Millimed, Pond Chemical, Sino Pacific), and Taiwan (Sheng Chun Tang Ind.). We use (a) Medical Representatives for branded products, and (b) Sales forces for other generic and OTC products. Medical Representatives: Our Medical Rep approach doctors at hospitals and clinics to promote the products and establish close contacts with them. From time to time, we invite the overseas speakers from well known hospitals to talk on new products innovations at the prestigious hotels to doctors from the main hospitals in Vientiane for the launch of new products. Due to such promotion activities, our several products have been supplied to the main hospitals. Sales forces: Our salespeople are to daily contact with pharmacies for taking order and on time delivering. The marketing approach is: Brand promotion and Raising the image of imported products Building a close relationship with doctors and retailing outlets with on time delivery service. The brand promotion is aimed to build up the brand loyalty and the perception of good quality among the end users. The promotion is to reinforce the company's position. Marketing tools that are needed for such promotion: Launching new products with seminars with doctors for prescribed drugs Leaflets of range of products or each product in Lao language Samples and giveaway (pens, diaries, bags, calendars, etc) Advertising in different local media (radio, television, magazines) Regular communications and good service with doctors and retailers. In Laos, pharmaceutical products are sold in drug stores or pharmacies of about 3,000 outlets in all cities of Vientiane capital and other provinces. The other important market is government hospitals and private clinics. Vientiane Capital occupies about 70% of total Lao market where most of medium and high end items are sold in about 300 pharmacies outlets, however about 10 big stores cover nearly the whole market as they are the wholesalers for small stores at the same time. Our market consists of pharmacies of about 70%, hospitals (20%) and clinics (10%). Palamy Pharma covers Vientiane with 80% and other provinces 20% of its sales volume. All drugs to be imported are to be registered at the Food and Drug Department (FDD) of Ministry of Health of Laos. The process takes at least six months. The dossier of documents for registration is supplied in ACTD format by the manufacturer. In Laos, the current import duty on drugs is 10% and VAT is 10%. In Laos, the generic products are mostly those for cold treatment, anti diarrhea, antibiotics, vitamins, etc, which are estimated to be covered 70% of total import value. These are among the essential drugs mentioned by the Lao Ministry of Health. The prescribed and potential products for Lao market (30% of total import value) are those in the group of liver disease, gastro-intestinal, diabetes, cardio-vascular but also the new generations of antibiotics ranges.