Tehran, Iran, July 5
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Pharmacies across the country must have equal chances of making profit, rather than let things go like now when some 200 pharmacies control 40 percent of the country's drug market, Deputy Director of Iran's Food and Drug Organization Akbar Abdollahi said.
He further said there are not enough resources to meet demands in most pharmacies, IRNA news agency reported July 5.
Some 12 thousand pharmacies around the country distribute worth 110 trillion rials (over $3.7 billion) of drugs.
The pharmacies receive 20 percent of the consumer price for domestically made drugs and 12 percent of the consumer price for imported drugs.
He also said Iran fights brands in its drug market.
"We have heard insurance and drug organizations frequently saying they oppose brands. Our drug system is generic and we do not pay for brands," he stressed.
He noted that 80 percent of the world's drug prices relate to their brands and that the brand prices are four to five times those of generic drugs.
Iran imports $1 billion worth of drugs a year. The majority of the imported drugs include single drugs as well as those needed by patients with cancer or rare diseases.
The Iranian drugs market is worth 80,000 billion rials (24,500 rials making USD1).
Iranian Food and Drug Organization Director Rasoul Dinarvand announced Jan. 27 that the country's drug export had hit $150 million.
