The proportion of your budget allocated to marketing and business development depends on your business model. For a licensed pharmacy selling directly to consumers, marketing is essential. Initially, you may need to invest 10% to 20% of projected annual revenue in areas such as brand building, community outreach and online promotion. For a pharmaceutical wholesaler that mainly conducts B2B business, the proportion may be lower, around 3% to 5%, with a focus on building relationships with hospitals, clinics and pharmacy chains. The costs would mainly cover building a sales team, attending industry exhibitions and maintaining customer relationships. A manufacturer of proprietary Chinese medicines will need to invest more in brand building and educating doctors.
HONG KONG DRUG LICENSING
What proportion of my budget should I set aside for marketing and business development?
A complete explanation of the regulatory basis, Drew Tang’s recommendations and risk alerts. The original material dates from 2025; read it alongside the latest official requirements.
Original guide, 2025 edition: These FAQs are provided for topic-based reference and have not all been individually checked against current rules. Please confirm fees, personnel, renewal, changes and product requirements against the professional in-depth guide for the relevant licence type and the official requirements in force at the time.
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