Tehran, Iran – Two members of the board of directors of the Iranian Pharmacists Association warned of a sharp decline in the country’s stocks of medicine
and powdered milk, noting that the stock is currently sufficient for less than two months.
They also predicted that around 800 types of medicine would
face shortages over the next three months.
This warning comes amid a rise in the daily exchange rate
and the cancellation of preferential (subsidized) currency for some imported medicine.
This results in economic pressures on patients.
The impact of exchange rate on treatment costs
Hadi Ahmadi, a member of the board of directors of the Iranian Pharmacists Association,
told the ILNA news agency that the instability of the exchange
rate directly affects the price of medicine.
He pointed out that 70% of the cost of producing medicines,
including packaging and auxiliary materials, depends on hard currency.
While only 30% is allocated to raw materials, part of
which may be supplied in a preferential currency.
Ahmadi warned of a decline in citizens’ purchasing power, as many patients are forced to…
Either to buy the medicine incompletely or to refrain from buying
it altogether due to the huge price increase.
This disrupts the treatment process and increases medical costs.
Weak insurance system and shortage of essential medicines
Babak Mesbahi, a member of the board of directors of the Pharmacists Association,
confirmed that the problem is not limited to the high exchange rate,
He warned that “the system will remain dysfunctional”
if insurance companies do not cover the increase in medicine prices.
Misbahi said that the country’s medicine stocks do not exceed two months on average.
Similar conditions apply to powdered milk, with shortages expected
in 800 pharmaceutical products in the coming months.
Commonly used drugs, such as prednisolone, are facing supply shortages.
Union officials pointed out that drug prices have increased sevenfold
since the preferential currency was abolished.
Desperate calls to buy the medicine
This crisis reflects deep-seated problems suffered by millions of patients.
Younes Arab, CEO of the Iranian Thalassemia Patients Association, stated earlier,
Some families are offering to “sell their kidneys or corneas” to buy medicine for their children.
This highlights the depth of the human tragedy.
