Leaders of Scotland's multi-million-pound medicines sector are calling on Scottish Parliament election candidates to recognise the industry's contribution to both the health and wealth of the nation.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ABPI Scotland, has launched a challenge to candidates to enter into a "policy partnership", to support the industry's goal of investing more year-on-year in medicines development and manufacturing in Scotland while, at the same time, giving clinicians the freedom to prescribe the most appropriate medicines for their patients.

It says recent independent research shows pharma-related businesses fast catching up with the drinks industry in their economic importance to Scotland.

Publishing the industry's call to action document, ABPI Scotland's director Jim Eadie said: "The people who develop and provide medicines are among the most highly-qualified and most economically valuable to Scotland.Our hope is that every candidate will read this document and understand that investment in the most appropriate modern medicines is good for patients and, with their better health, good for families, society and overall NHS bills.

"Meanwhile, investment in medicines allows our sector to invest in more research, more jobs and ever better ways to help patients."

Alan Walker, vice-president of global commercial operations at Borders-based ProStrakan, said future MSPs have to understand that they have the power to make - or break - one of Scotland's most successful industries. "Ours is a sector where the key players operate at a global level and make choices based on global factors MSPs must be willing to use the fiscal levers and incentives available to them to attract new companies - and keep those already here."

Jim McPherson, vice-president of GSK and site director for the company's operation at Irvine in Ayrshire, said: "I hope that future MSPs reading this document will continue to adopt policies that nurture talent, allow people to develop cutting-edge skills and do everything they can to attract yet more people into our sector."