Shahram Kalantari, head of the Iranian Pharmacists Association, pointed to the heavy debts of insurance companies and the Subsidy Targeting Organization to pharmacies and announced that 80% of the country’s pharmacies are on the verge of bankruptcy.
On Sunday, August 17, in an interview with the state-run Fars News Agency, Kalantari said: “The Subsidy Targeting Organization has not made any payments since February, and the debts of this organization along with the debts of insurance companies to pharmacists have exceeded 300 trillion rials (approximately 322.58 million dollars).”
He added that many private pharmacies, due to bounced checks, have practically been pushed out of the drug supply cycle, and distribution companies no longer cooperate with them.
These remarks come at a time when the rising prices of medicine and medical services in recent months have placed increasing pressure on citizens, especially low-income groups.
Meanwhile, a number of sick citizens, under the current circumstances, have given up on buying medicine and pursuing their treatment.
50% of the pharmaceutical market is monopolized by state-owned pharmacies
The head of the Pharmacists Association further stated in his interview that there are more than 17,000 pharmacies in Iran, of which about 16,000 are private.
Kalantari added that nevertheless, 50% of the pharmaceutical market is controlled by 1,700 state-owned pharmacies.
He continued: “Pharmaceutical companies, because they cannot collect payments from state-owned pharmacies and medical universities, put pressure on private pharmacies and significantly reduce their settlement deadlines.”
He put the amount of bounced checks of pharmacists at 40 trillion rials (approximately 43 million dollars) and added: “Any pharmacist whose check bounces can no longer practically obtain a checkbook, and in effect, distribution companies no longer work with such pharmacists, do not sell them products, and these pharmacies head toward bankruptcy.”
Criticism of “online drug interventions”
The head of Iran’s Pharmacists Association also criticized “online drug interventions” in Iran and warned about its consequences.
Kalantari said: “No matter how much we explain that medicine is not a commodity that we should allow patients to obtain through platforms, no one listens. Or they buy from centers whose origins are completely unknown.”
He stressed: “The sale of medicine must be under strict supervision, and the related data and information should be monitored on servers located in the Ministry of Health.”
According to Kalantari, the issue of online drug sales currently has supporters in the Article 90 Commission of Iran’s parliament, and even the head of this commission supports it.
