The Pharmaceutical System in I.R. of Iran after the Islamic Revolution

The goal of the pharmaceutical system in all countries centers around increasing patient access to affordable drugs. The ideological basis of the Islamic republic of Iran emphasizes justice and self-sufficiency. This was one of the main vectors of activity in the health system including the pharmaceutical system. At the 40th anniversary of this important event the résumé of activities and challenges in this field including success and failures are summarized.

The related data were gathered through searching electronic databases in both Farsi and English. The published articles as well as the reports from Ministry of Health and Medical Education were used.

In the early years after the Islamic revolution there was a trend towards self-sufficiency; most of the pharmaceutical industries were nationalized and imports were restricted while generic production was encouraged. Over time more private factories were launched; generic production was transformed to generic brand and brand production. This transformation was criticized recently with more emphasis on generic production again. Currently over 100 drug manufacturing companies, 200 drug importing companies, 70 drug distribution companies and over 11,000 drugstores are active in the nation. The quantitative share of domestic production was more than 97%. The total cost of drugs in Iran was about 4 Billion US dollars in recent years corresponding to the annual per capita drug usage of about $ 57 which is lower than the world average. The highest export figures of drugs from Iran has been around 200 million US dollars. Many products are manufactured domestically at a lower price than the world market. Drug subsidies have also kept prices artificially low for some imported items. Establishment of the Food and Drug Organization was one of the most important developments in the country's pharmaceutical field that could underpin transparency and efficiency in drug policy making.

The pharmaceutical system in Iran has transformed from a system mainly based on drug importation to a system with self-sufficiency and autonomy. But there are still many challenges in equitable drug access especially for more sophisticated drugs.