Tunis – The Tunisian Union of Private Pharmacy Owners issued an official statement clarifying its position on the recent circular issued by the Tunisian Central Pharmacy regarding the review of the prices of a number of medicines, following “numerous inquiries” received regarding this regulatory decision.
The union stated that the announcement published on the official page of the Tunisian Central Pharmacy included approximately 300 medicines, stressing that pharmacists “were unaware of this decision,” especially after the union was excluded about a year ago from the Medicines Purchasing Committee (CAM), as well as from the Medicines Observatory, noting that its participation in the work of the latter is now only done exceptionally, and usually at the invitation of the Minister of Health or the Director General of the Medicines Agency.
A direct confrontation with the citizen and absent standards
The union confirmed that the pharmacist finds himself, as usual, in the direct interface with the citizen, stressing that any review of drug prices must be based on clear standards, and take into account the citizen’s purchasing power, the continuity of the provision of medicine, and the sustainability of pharmacies. She added that, due to her non-participation in the work of the committees that prepared this review, she cannot express a technical opinion or confirm the basis that was adopted in determining the increases, with the exception of some medications for which the Tunisian Central Pharmacy bore part of the cost of subsidizing, and for which this subsidy was reduced.
Rejection of unfounded increases and a legal obligation to implement them
The union reiterated its position rejecting any increase in drug prices unless it is based on an objective and transparent mechanism for reviewing prices, based primarily on an index of the development of raw material prices, on the development of foreign exchange rates, and on aligning prices with the pharmacist’s performance payment, in a way that ensures a balance between the continued availability of medicine, protecting the purchasing power of the citizen, and the sustainability of pharmacies.
In contrast, the union emphasized that pharmacists remain legally obligated to apply the new official prices as soon as they come into effect, and have no authority to modify or refuse to apply them, given that drug prices are regulated by the competent authorities, and the pharmacist’s role is limited to complying with them according to the law. It should be noted that the Tunisian Central Pharmacy had published a new notice on its official Facebook page on Friday, July 24, 2026, regarding the updated prices of medicines intended for human use in Tunisia.
