Iran's Ministry of Health: 40 to 50 Foreign Medicines Have Become Scarce

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health stated that due to currency fluctuations, 40 to 50 foreign medicines have become scarce in Iran, and as a result, "3.5 billion dollars" of government currency has been allocated for drug procurement. This news comes as the first round of U.S. sanctions against Iran began on August 7, and the U.S. Treasury Department has stated that the sanctions do not include food and medicine. According to ILNA news agency, Iraj Harirchi, in a press conference, did not deny the drug shortage in the country but deemed it "inevitable." He mentioned that "this shortage also exists in advanced European and American countries, and a 1 to 2 percent drug shortage is unavoidable." The health official noted that at one point, "we had a shortage of 300 to 350 types of medicines," but currently, the drug shortage is limited to "40 to 50 types of foreign medicines." Harirchi announced that Iran's drug reserves "normally last for eight months, and if this period drops to four months, it is concerning, and we must reconsider our policies." The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health stated that the cost of medicine in Iran is "above average" compared to countries with medium to high economic income that have similar financial conditions to Iran, and even compared to high-income countries. Nasser Riahi, the head of the Drug Importers Union, reported earlier this year that the Central Bank had removed the currency subsidy for medicines. According to this decision, drug imports are to be conducted at a rate of 4,200 tomans per dollar and 5,200 tomans per euro. Saeed Namaki, the social deputy of the Planning and Budget Organization, also stated that this year, "besides a 10 percent annual price increase" due to inflation and based on the new pricing regulations by the Ministry of Health, there will be no other price increases in the drug sector. Meanwhile, Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the Minister of Health, declared the market situation as "disordered" and warned of possible intentions by some individuals for "exploitation and profiteering." The Shargh newspaper, in its July 2 issue, wrote that although the sanctions have not yet included medical and pharmaceutical items, many patients and their families are worried about the country's drug situation following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. An "informed source" at a public pharmacy in Iran told the newspaper that "the economic situation has not yet shown its impact on the drug sector, but I think we will witness these impacts starting from September."