Iran medicine shortages reach antibiotics and fertility drugs - IRNA

Medicine shortages and price increases in Iran have left many patients struggling to obtain basic drugs, state news agency IRNA reported, citing field checks at production and supply centers.

IRNA said shortages had reached medicines including Cldinium-C, some antibiotics, Asentra and estradiol valerate, while health officials continued to reject claims of a broader shortage in the drug market.

The report said three sheets of estradiol valerate 2 mg, used in some fertility treatments and other conditions, cost about 840,000 rials, around $0.47, with insurance and pharmacy fees, but were being sold unofficially at 5 million to 17 million rials, about $2.80 to $9.40, because of shortages.

A patient undergoing IVF treatment in Tehran told IRNA she had spent more than seven hours searching pharmacies across the city and found only three sheets of the drug.

“They promote childbearing, but simple IVF medicines are in short supply,” she said.

IRNA said medicine production and pricing were affected by foreign exchange rates, sanctions, imports of raw materials, energy costs, liquidity shortages and insurance funding gaps.

The report also said some drug prices had risen before insurance systems were updated, forcing patients to pay more out of pocket. A senior health insurance official said some recent price increases had not been reported to insurers in advance, creating problems for patients.