Two members of the board of directors of the Iranian regime’s Pharmacists Association warned about the consequences of removing subsidized foreign currency for some imported medicines, the economic pressure on patients, and the inefficiency of the insurance system. According to one of them, Iran’s reserves of medicines and infant formula have fallen to less than two months, and there is a possibility of shortages of 800 types of medicines over the next three months.
Hadi Ahmadi, a member of the board of directors of the Iranian regime’s Pharmacists Association, said on Sunday, December 14, in comments to the state-run ILNA news agency, that the country’s pharmaceutical market is unstable, noting that the exchange rate rises on a daily basis and this situation directly affects medicine prices.
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According to him, although part of pharmaceutical raw materials is supplied with subsidized currency, about 70% of drug production costs consist of packaging, auxiliary items, and other requirements that follow the free-market exchange rate, and only 30% is allocated to raw materials.
Warning about the decline in citizens’ purchasing power, Ahmadi added that many patients face higher prices when visiting pharmacies and therefore either buy incomplete courses of medicine or forgo purchasing them altogether.
This guild official stressed that the current situation disrupts treatment processes and ultimately increases healthcare costs.
Widespread medicine shortages, long queues, and relentless price increases in Iran have created serious difficulties for the lives of millions of patients.
In recent weeks, numerous reports have been published about the decline in the country’s pharmaceutical reserves and the consequences of removing subsidized currency on medicine supply.
Younes Arab, chief executive of the Iran Thalassemia Association, said on December 10 that some families even offer the “sale of a kidney or cornea” to buy medicine for their children.
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The state-run Tejarat News website also reported that rising healthcare costs for women have led to delays in vital health care, noting that the cost of painkillers and essential tests for many women—especially in the absence of adequate insurance coverage—has postponed critical medical care.
In the continuation of his interview with ILNA, Ahmadi accused insurance companies of failing to fulfill their obligations and said that under these conditions the greatest pressure falls on patients.
This member of the Pharmacists Association’s board also reported an intensification of medicine shortages, adding that some pharmaceutical items are either scarce or distributed on a rationed basis.
He cited the drug Pearl as an example, saying that despite domestic production it is either unavailable on the market or difficult to access. Common and widely used medicines such as Prednisolone have also faced shortages.
Shortage of about 800 types of medicines in the next three months
Babak Mesbahi, a member of the board of directors of the Iranian regime’s Pharmacists Association, emphasized in an interview on December 14 with DidbanIran, a news website, that the problems of the pharmaceutical market are not limited solely to rising exchange rates.
He said that in past experiences, increases in the exchange rate have merely led to higher debts for distribution companies and liquidity shortages in pharmaceutical factories.
Pointing to the role of insurance companies, this guild official warned that even if medicine prices are adjusted, if insurers do not cover the increases, “the system will once again become disrupted.”
He added that responsibility for the financial protection of patients lies with insurance companies, and that forcibly keeping medicine prices low without supplying other components of the chain has weakened the pharmaceutical industry.
Mohammad Abdehzadeh, head of the Health Economy Commission of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, said on December 10 that the total claims of pharmaceutical companies from public and private companies and pharmacies in both sectors have exceeded 1.5 quadrillion rials (approximately 1.171 billion dollars).
Alireza Chizari, head of the Association of Producers, Suppliers, Distributors, and Exporters of Medical and Pharmaceutical Equipment of Tehran Province, also reported on December 13 a “sevenfold surge” in medicine prices in Iran since the removal of subsidized currency for medicines.
Continuing his interview with DidbanIran, Mesbahi said that the country’s pharmaceutical reserves average less than two months, and that similar conditions exist regarding infant formula.
According to him, about 800 types of medicines will face shortages over the next three months.
