Head of Pharmacists Association: Over 60% of Domestic Drug Production is 'Low Quality'

The head of the Pharmacists Association states that the Iranian government purchases and prices more than 60% of domestic drug production, which is the main reason for the low quality of these medications. Bahman Sabouri said on Saturday, September 24, that 'the majority of drugs are produced at fixed prices' in an interview with Rokna news agency, adding that in unpriced productions, 'the producer determines the price of the drug considering the materials used and the costs of the production cycle.' He further noted that patients compare domestic drugs to 'meatless stew,' stating, 'Domestic drugs meet the minimum standards, while foreign drugs are above normal.' Meanwhile, the Central Bank, following a directive from Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, announced the allocation of financial resources to pharmaceutical companies. However, drug production in Iran is facing a crisis due to a lack of liquidity for procuring raw materials for manufacturing plants. Following increasing criticism of the critical drug situation, Mohammad Jafar Qaimpanah, the Executive Vice President and head of the Presidential Office, announced on August 19 that Masoud Pezeshkian had instructed the Central Bank President to resolve the liquidity issue for supplying raw materials for pharmaceutical factories and importing drugs. Pezeshkian himself had previously reported a '60 trillion tomans' debt of the government to pharmaceutical companies in May of this year when he was still a member of the Health and Treatment Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. A month after Pezeshkian's statements, Mohammad Ali Bandpay, a member of the Health and Treatment Commission's board, warned that drugs were turning into a 'crisis' and announced that the number of rare drugs had exceeded 200 items.