Lebanon’s head of the Pharmacists’ Syndicate, Joe Saloum, stated on Monday to “Sputnik” that a large segment of the medicines for cancer and other chronic diseases are missing from the Lebanese markets because they are subsidized and there are no funds for this support. Saloum pointed out, “A sustainable pharmaceutical policy must be established, and an integrated plan should be put in place. We call for a donor conference to discuss this sustainable pharmaceutical policy. From here, we appeal for a roundtable discussion to give utmost importance to the medicine issue.”
Saloum believes that “almost 30 to 40% of the medicines entering Lebanese markets are smuggled, with a large portion of them being counterfeit, expired, or tampered with.” He noted that “most of these drugs are outside the realm of legitimate pharmacies, either in illegal pharmacies, in small shops, or online.”
Saloum added, “As legitimate pharmacies, we emphasize the quality of medicine. To ensure our commitment to genuine medicines and to stay away from smuggled and counterfeit ones, we have launched a campaign through which pharmacists pledge to adhere to the official pricing and ensure the legitimacy of drugs.”
He said, “Today, we have taken personal legal action at the Financial Public Prosecution against all forms of smuggling and counterfeiting because it harms patients’ health.” Saloum highlighted that “we ensure there are legitimate pharmacies registered with the Ministry of Health. Any violation is referred to the Disciplinary and Investigation Council. So far, 50 pharmacies have been referred to the council, two have been shut down, and several others are on the brink of closure.”
Saloum also revealed that “most of the smuggled drugs come from Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Pakistan.” He warned that “the danger of smuggled drugs is that they could be toxic, possibly expired, stored improperly, which can lead to the death of the patient. Surely, they neither heal nor treat.” Saloum emphasized that “smuggling medicines from abroad happens in the absence of proper oversight, lack of accountability, and delays in taking action.”
