Azerbaijan, Baku, Jul.10/ Trend F.Karimov/
The Customs Administration of Iran has reported that imports of some kinds of medicine have sharply decreased in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 21.
Imports of medicine containing antibiotics fell by 20.7 per cent in weight and reached 100 kilogrammes, but rose by 308 per cent in value amounting to $35.8 million. This issue shows that the prices of such medicine have significantly risen in the domestic market.
Imports of food complements which are not produced domestically fell by 30 and 45 per cent respectively, reaching 0.7 tons and $91.1 million.
The decrease in medicine imports happened whilst demand has not decreased in the domestic market.
Meanwhile, the health minister recently stated that the shortage of medicine has been resolved and the Central Bank has issued permission for importing medicine by individuals.
Iran imports 90 per cent of raw materials for producing medicine from India and China, the Fars News Agency quoted Iran's Food and Drug Organisation deputy director Shams-Ali Rezazadeh as saying.
Considering cheap raw materials in East Asian countries, we have planned to import raw materials for medicine from India and China, he noted. But, no medicine is currently imported from China, he added.
We apply strict regulations for importing medicine from foreign countries. We issue permission for such a transaction, for example from India or South Korea. Their medicine samples should be approved by the Food and Drug Organisation, he said.
On July 1, Rezazadeh said Iran has increased the price of domestically produced drugs by 40 per cent as the exchange rate of foreign currency which is used to import raw materials has increased.
He added that prices of foreign made drugs which are being imported have been increased by 90 per cent.
The government used to allocate the U.S. dollar at the official exchange rate of 12,260 rials for the importation of drugs, but has announced it will no longer do so at this rate and has increased the rate to about 24,000 rials.