Ahmad Arianeyad, a member of the Health Commission in Iran’s regime Majlis (parliament), told the website didbaniran that with the rising cost of medicine and doctor visits, some people with limited financial means are giving up on seeing doctors or taking prescribed medication and are forced either to endure their illnesses or turn to herbal remedies. For non-Iranian readers: the Health Commission is the parliamentary body overseeing medical and pharmaceutical policies.
He added: “In 2025, we have faced unbelievable and unaffordable increases in the price of medicine.”
Following the activation of snapback sanctions against Iran’s regime and the return of international sanctions, medicine prices in Iran—from specialized drugs to basic cold tablets and syrups—have multiplied several times, and citizens often have to visit multiple pharmacies to obtain what they need.
Nevertheless, officials of Iran’s regime attempt to downplay the impact of the sanctions’ return in their statements.
Arianeyad emphasized that if herbal medicines are provided without proper knowledge and awareness, they will create many problems for patients.
He also referred to the quality of domestically produced medicines in Iran, saying that at times local pharmaceutical products may lack the necessary quality. This member of the Health Commission called for an investigation into the “poor quality” of products from certain pharmaceutical companies and brands.
Salam Sotoudeh, another member of the Health Commission, told didbaniran on November 10 that the shortage and high cost of medicine affects the entire country, especially deprived regions where essential medicines are scarce and prices extremely high. He added: “At present, patients’ worry is not only their illness, but the cost of the medicine.”
This regime parliament member warned that unless serious solutions are implemented to supply medicine and reduce prices, the consequences will be extremely severe.
In August, the state-run newspaper Resalat reported that based on the results of a national study, about 40% of Iranians—especially low-income groups—visit a dentist only when the pain becomes unbearable and extraction is the only option.
The state-run website Rouydad24 previously reported that the implementation of the so-called “Daroyar” plan and the removal of the preferential 4,200-toman exchange rate (equivalent to 42,000 rials) caused the cost of medicine, medical equipment, and healthcare services to increase by an average of 70%. Currently, the price of each U.S. dollar is about 1,130,000 rials, and the monthly wage of a worker with two children barely reaches 130 dollars.
On October 4, the Health Commission of Iran’s regime parliament warned of potential “human catastrophes,” citing delays by the Central Bank in allocating foreign currency for medicine.
Reports from the parliament’s Research Center and official statistics show that patients’ share of healthcare expenses in Iran has risen to 70%, and more than 83% of the pharmaceutical market is controlled by fifty-five quasi-state companies.
A 2020 study by the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare showed that about 16% of Iran’s population—around 13.5 million people—had no health insurance. This figure rises to 21% in Tehran Province. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Iranians personally paid about 35% of their medical expenses, nearly twice the global average.
According to the Ministry of Welfare, in the same year about 2.4 million Iranians fell below the poverty line due to heavy medical expenses. International studies also show that surgical costs in Iran are higher than in ninety-three countries worldwide.
