Iran’s health minister announced a shortage of 32 types of medication and a tenfold increase in transportation costs.
Meanwhile, the Pharmacists Association reported that Iranian drug prices have risen by approximately 150 percent since the beginning of the year, making it increasingly difficult for patients to access medication.
On Monday, September 14, Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi stated during a joint meeting of the ministry and the government’s media council that the drug shortages affect both imported medications and those with locally produced alternatives.
He explained that when imports by sea are impossible, shipments must be transported by air in several stages and then finally brought in by land.
According to Zafarghandi, the cost of this process has increased tenfold.
The Iranian health minister added that before the war, 63 types of medication were listed as being in short supply, a number that decreased to 43 during the war and has now dropped to 32.
The minister did not specify which categories of medication are included in these statistics or the extent of the shortages they reflect.
