Soaring medicine prices and supply chain disruptions in Iran are forcing patients to postpone or abandon essential treatments, including cancer therapy.

Patients in Iran are increasingly delaying or stopping medical treatments due to sharp price hikes and persistent medicine shortages. Financial pressures are exacerbated by currency depreciation, banking transaction difficulties, and rising production costs. For many, the cost of a single treatment session now exceeds the country's monthly minimum wage, leaving families to seek loans or alternative, often unreliable, sources for medication.

Rising Costs and Medicine Shortages

The cost of essential medications has surged, with one pharmaceutical manufacturer recently raising prices for 82 products by an average of 120%. Specific drugs have seen even steeper increases, including Donepezil at 543% and clarithromycin at 308%. Insulin users face similar burdens, with the cost of a monthly prescription of four NovoRapid pens rising to approximately 1.1 million tomans after insurance. According to Salman Eshaghi, a spokesman for Iran's parliamentary Health and Treatment Committee, nearly 1,000 pharmaceutical products face shortages, with 43 classified as being in critical supply. While patients were originally expected to cover 30% of health costs, they are now paying more than 70% out of pocket.

Systemic Pressures and Risks

The Iranian healthcare system is struggling with the combined impact of a weakening currency, production cost increases, and international banking restrictions that complicate pharmaceutical imports. Although humanitarian goods are generally exempt from US sanctions, disruptions in foreign currency transfers have hindered the supply chain. Officials from the Central Bank of Iran noted that while foreign currency allocations for medicine increased by 30% in the first five months of the current year compared to the previous year, shortages persist. Physicians warn that these conditions force patients to turn to unofficial, cross-border channels for medicine. These sources carry significant risks, as drugs may be counterfeit, expired, or improperly stored, potentially leading to premature death or severe complications for patients who cannot find effective substitutes.