Escalating Healthcare Crisis in Iran; 500 Drug Items Excluded from Insurance and the Risk of 'Self-Medication' Among Some Patients

The head of the Tehran Social Security Retirees Association announced the exclusion of '500 drug items' from insurance coverage, while the vice president of the Iranian Human Pharmaceutical Industries Syndicate stated that the government of Ebrahim Raisi should not cut costs from 'the producer's pocket' to make drugs cheaper. Ali Dehghan-Kia, the head of the Tehran Social Security Retirees Association, mentioned the impact of this exclusion on retirees, suggesting it would lead them to resort to 'self-medication.' He cited the conversion of the '4200 Toman' drug currency to 'Nima currency' and the non-payment of subsidies that the 'government had promised' as reasons for this situation. The government had committed to providing subsidies to the Social Security Organization due to the change in reference currency. Bahram Einollahi, the Minister of Health in the thirteenth government of the Islamic Republic, reported on the '12 trillion Toman' debt of Iranian hospitals to the government entity 'Social Security Organization' and a '25 trillion Toman' debt of the 'Drug Support' plan to another government body, the 'Organization for Planning and Budget.' He stated, 'Our financial challenges relate to how much of our budget we can receive from the Planning and Budget Organization and others.' Meanwhile, Haleh Hamidifar, vice president of the Iranian Human Pharmaceutical Industries Syndicate, told the Mehr news agency that the public perception is that the pharmaceutical industry is responsible for keeping drug prices low, which is not the case. This pharmaceutical industry activist emphasized that the Islamic Republic government should not cut costs from 'the producer's pocket' to make drugs cheaper, stating that the pharmaceutical industry's duty is to produce 'quality drugs,' while the government's responsibility is to 'policy-making' regarding the organization of the drug system. Furthermore, according to the head of the Tehran Social Security Retirees Association, the government's currency policy changes in the healthcare sector and the resulting 'increase in raw material prices'—which he claims have risen by 'up to seven times'—have led to an increase in drug prices, causing retirees and social security insured individuals to face 'numerous problems.' In this context, a pharmacist residing in Tehran told the Persian section of Voice of America that since 'last Azar' (December), no currency has been allocated for purchasing raw materials for drugs or medical equipment. He emphasized that due to the 'lack of currency allocation,' shortages have manifested in all pharmaceutical sectors, making even the supply of simple drugs problematic. Another pharmacist from Tehran also informed the Persian section of Voice of America that currently, 'vital drugs' such as the heart medication Amiodarone, Plavix for preventing blood clots typically used after a heart attack, and inhalers for asthma and bronchitis are 'unavailable.'