Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s Health and Medical Commission, warned of “severe medicine shortages” and dramatic price surges across Iran, noting that international money transfer barriers and soaring import expenses have further complicated drug procurement.
Speaking in an interview with the ILNA News Agency, Sameyah Najafabadi described the national pharmaceutical situation as “extremely critical,” stating: “Regrettably, we are facing acute drug shortages alongside eye-watering price increases.”
The lawmaker clarified that parliament does not hold the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) solely responsible for the crisis. Following calls for a formal parliamentary investigation into the agency, the Health Commission opted instead to establish a specialized working group to evaluate the situation, noting that many MPs’ grievances were directed at the broader Ministry of Health rather than the FDA itself.
Sameyah Najafabadi also highlighted the emergence of a black market for scarce pharmaceuticals, particularly those required by patients with special or chronic conditions.
He explained that black-market middlemen acquire specialized drugs from state distribution centers using multiple prescriptions, only to resell them at exorbitant markups to desperate patients.
