製薬業界が求める薬価の下支えや安定供給に対する批判があります。

様々な法的な保護によって守られる医薬品業界は、護送船団方式と呼ばれることがあります。

護送船団方式（Convoy system）とは、政府が特定の産業を保護し、過度の競争を避けて産業を育成・成長させる政策のことです。

市場確保、価格競争、競合参入などの保護は他の業界に比べて、確かに過保護のように見えます。

多くの製薬企業の業績を悪化させている要因となっている特許切れも予め予見可能であり、必ずしも不可避ではないでしょう。

しかし昨今では我が国も超高齢社会に突入し、社会保障費抑制の圧力も強まっています。

本来、民間企業とは利潤を最大にすることが最たる目的であり、すべての民間企業は自由競争のもと、経営に対するあらゆる自己責任を担うことを前提に活動していくべき存在です。

これからの製薬企業は、自由競争のなかを勝ち抜く企業でなければ、世界的な競争のなかで生き残れない時代となりました。

“Are pharmaceutical companies overprotected?”

There are criticisms regarding the support for drug prices and stable supply demanded by the pharmaceutical industry.

The pharmaceutical industry, which is protected by various legal measures, is sometimes referred to as the “convoy system.”

The convoy system refers to a government policy that protects specific industries to nurture their growth and development by avoiding excessive competition.

The protection provided for market security, price competition, and entry by competitors may indeed appear to be excessive compared to other industries.

The expiration of patents, which is a factor contributing to the deteriorating performance of many pharmaceutical companies, can be anticipated in advance and is not necessarily inevitable.

However, in recent years, our country has also entered a super-aging society, and there is increasing pressure to curb social security expenses.

In essence, private companies aim to maximize profits, and all private enterprises should operate under the premise of assuming full responsibility for management under free competition.

Pharmaceutical companies from now on need to be companies that can survive in a world of global competition, as only those who can thrive in the midst of free competition can endure in this era.