Pharmacy Council's Reaction to Determining Drug Quotas Based on Hijab: Such a Thing is Not Feasible

Hadi Akhvat Pour, the head of the Supreme Council of Pharmacies of Iran, reacted on May 7 to the statements made by the head of the Food and Drug Organization regarding the determination of pharmacy quotas based on hijab, stating: "If the hijab of patients is meant, such a thing is not feasible, and the duty of the pharmacy is to provide medicine to the distressed patient." According to the website Rouydad 24, the head of the Supreme Council of Pharmacies of Iran announced that no directive has yet been received regarding the determination of pharmacy quotas based on the hijab situation in pharmacies. Akhvat Pour commented on the evaluation of pharmacies based on the attire of visitors, saying: "In the world's customs, such a thing has never existed for treatment." He emphasized that "the health of a patient is not something that should be tied to their beliefs or way of dressing" and described this action as impractical, adding: "No one asks about a person's identity, religion, or beliefs for treatment." Regarding the possibility of implementing a new plan for pharmacy staff, he stated that based on a directive from two years ago, dress standards for pharmacy employees had been considered, but "until now, there has been no emphasis on hijab in the issue of staff attire, and the main emphasis has been on cleanliness and distinguishing the pharmacist from other staff." This comes as Haidar Mohammadi, the head of the Food and Drug Organization, previously announced that hijab and adherence to norms play a role in determining pharmacy quotas, and if "warnings do not have an effect, deterrent measures will be implemented against violating pharmacies." However, following the publication of these reports, IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, denied this news quoting Haidar Mohammadi, stating that pharmacy quotas are determined based on the hijab adherence of their "employees." Despite this denial, reports indicate that government institutions of the Islamic Republic have, in some cases, closed pharmacies just like other businesses due to non-compliance with the mandatory hijab of their employees and customers. Following the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, which erupted in protest against the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, several pharmacies and other businesses in various cities of Iran were closed due to non-compliance with the mandatory hijab. The closure of several goldsmiths in Mashhad followed the strike of sellers, and the closure of a shop under the pretext of optional attire in Mashhad signifies a new phase in the fight against women's optional dress.