Iran's medicine crisis prices patients out of treatment
A single chemotherapy session in Iran can cost six times the monthly minimum wage. As drug prices soar and medicine shortages persist, doctors say more patients are delaying or abandoning treatment they cannot afford.
A 70-year-old woman with advanced breast cancer was facing chemotherapy sessions that cost roughly six times Iran's minimum monthly wage. Her story is not alone. Across Iran, soaring prices, persistent shortages, disruptions in foreign currency transfers and mounting healthcare pressures are making treatment increasingly inaccessible for many patients.
Iranian pharmaceutical companies have hiked prices for over 80 products, with some medicines rising by as much as 543%. Insulin users are particularly burdened, with monthly prescriptions costing four times more due to insurance reimbursement. For many diseases, there are no substitutes if patients switch medications. Some patients seek treatment abroad, while others delay or abandon treatment altogether due to the exorbitant costs.
Iran's healthcare challenges existed before the current war, with an already struggling pharmaceutical industry facing weakening currency, rising production costs, delayed payments, and US sanctions. The war has exacerbated these issues, disrupting supply chains and foreign currency transfers. Around 43 medicines are currently in critical shortage, and nearly 1,000 pharmaceutical products face some degree of shortage.
Despite this, the Central Bank of Iran claims increased foreign currency allocation for medicines and medical equipment.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
