Last month Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported
the following:
医療品、海外依存度高く 感染爆発の備えに不安
新型コロナ ヘルスケア 医療・健康
2020/5/11 22:20 (2020/5/12 5:25更新)
新型コロナウイルスの感染が広がるなか、医療関連品の海外依存の高さが日本の医療体制の弱みとして浮かび上がっている。後発薬の原料では5割を輸入に依存しており供給不安の恐れも出ている。マスクや防護服など医療従事者に必須の医療装備品は軒並み中国からの輸入品に頼る。一部の医療品では各国で囲い込みの動きも見られる。政府は今後の感染症拡大にも備えるため、400社超と協力して、医療品の国産化を進める。
供給に懸念が出ているのが、特許期間などが切れ安価で販売される後発薬の有効成分となる原薬だ。国内の後発薬メーカーは、使用する原薬の約半分を中国や韓国などからの輸入に頼る。新型コロナ感染拡大以降、各国の税関手続きの遅れなどが解消されず「通常は4～5日で届くものが3週間かかっている」（医薬品商社）。
日本経済新聞社が実施した国内製薬会社45社を対象に実施したアンケート調査によると、約4割の企業が「半年程度で製品の供給不安が出る」と答えた。原薬輸入が滞ったことで後発薬大手の東和薬品が、高血圧を抑える薬や抗菌薬の出荷の調整を迫られている。
国内で使用する人工呼吸器も9割超を輸入に頼る。欧米勢が大半を供給してきた。スウェーデンメーカーの人工呼吸器を輸入販売するフクダ電子によると「国内の病院からの引き合いは増えているが、欧米での感染拡大が深刻になる中で日本向けの供給を増やせるかは未知数だ」という。
医療従事者が感染を防ぐために身につけるマスクや防護服、手袋などの個人用防護具（PPE）については中国依存から脱却するのは容易ではない。医師や看護師が使う医療用サージカルマスクでは70～80%を輸入に頼り、大半が中国からだ。高機能なマスクである「N95」は国内メーカーの増産余地が限られ、需要に追いつかない。
マスクを巡っては世界中で高水準の需要が続いており、各国の買い取り強化で争奪戦の様相も呈している。シャープなどが国内生産に乗り出しているが、国内での不足感は解消されていない。
医療品の深刻な不足状態の解消に向け、経済産業省と厚生労働省は生産協力を申し出た400社超の企業や既存の医療機器メーカー情報を集約し、日本医師会や病院団体などに提供する。
不足する医療品の種類や量は各現場によって異なる。今回、各企業が供給できる医療品の情報と、医療機関が求めている医療品のニーズを互いに明らかにすることで、供給までにかかる時間の短縮につなげる。経産省は全国に窓口を設け、さらに協力企業を増やしていく考えだ。
新型コロナが収束しても、今後再び拡大したり、新たな感染症が広がったりする恐れがある。政府は感染拡大時に必要な医療品を確保するため、国産化を促し、中国などへの輸入依存度を引き下げたい考えだ。
Translation
With the spread of the new coronavirus, the high dependence
of overseas medical-related products was emerging as a weakness of the Japanese
medical system. About 50% of the raw materials for generic drugs depended on
imports, and there were fears of supply insecurity. Medical equipment such as
masks and protective clothing that were essential for medical workers depended
on China as imported goods. For some medical products, movements to set up
barrier by individual countries could also be seen. In order to prepare for the
spread of infectious diseases in the future, the government would cooperate
with more than 400 companies to promote the domestic production of medical
products.
There was concern about the supply of the drug substance,
which was an active ingredient of the generic drug that was sold at a low price
because the patent period of the original drug had expired. Domestic generic
drug manufacturers relied on imports from China and South Korea for about half
of the drug substance they were using. After the spread of the new corona
infection, delays in customs procedures in individual countries had not been
resolved, and those usually took 4 to 5 days to deliver now needed 3 weeks to
deliver (Pharmaceutical trading company).
According to a questionnaire survey conducted by Nihon
Keizai Shimbun, Inc., targeting 45 domestic pharmaceutical companies, about 40%
of the companies answered that they were “worried about product supply within 6
months”. Due to the delay in import of the drug substance, Towa Pharmaceutical
Co., Ltd., a major generic drug manufacturer, was forced to adjust the shipment
of drugs that suppress hypertension and antibacterial drugs.
More than 90% of the respirators used in Japan also relied
on imports. Westerners had supplied the majority. According to Fukuda Denshi,
which imported and sold respirators from a Swedish manufacturer,
"Inquiries from hospitals in Japan are increasing, but it is unknown
whether the supply to Japan can be increased as the spread of infection in the
US and Europe becomes serious."
It was not easy for healthcare professionals to move away
from China's dependence on personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks,
protective clothing, and gloves that they wear to prevent infections. 70-80% of
medical surgical masks used by doctors and nurses relied on imports, mostly
from China. The high-performance mask "N95" was unable to keep up
with demand due to the limited production capacity of domestic manufacturers.
There was a high level of demand around the world for masks,
it seemed that there was a competition battle due to the strengthening of
purchases in each country. Although Sharp and others had begun domestic
production, the sense of shortage in Japan could not be resolved.
In order to resolve the serious shortage of medical products, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) together with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare would centralize information
on over 400 companies that had offered production cooperation, in addition to
existing medical device manufacturers, and to provide the information to the
Japan Medical Association and hospital groups.
The types and quantities of medical supplies that were
lacking vary from location to location. This time, by clarifying the
information on the medical products that each company could supply and the
needs of medical products required by medical institutions, it would be
possible to shorten the time required to deliver supply. The MEIT intended to establish windows nationwide and
increase the number of cooperating companies.
Even if the new corona was controlled, there was a possibility
that it could expand again, or there could be a spreading of a new infectious
diseases. The government wanted to promote domestic production and reduce its
dependence on China and other countries in order to secure medical supplies needed
during a spread of infection.
So, in order
to prepare for a future infectious disease, the Japanese government will
promote the domestic production of medical products. From now on medical
products could be regarded as national security items in many countries.
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