The Assad regime promises to provide various types of medicines in its areas of control

A member of the Assad regime’s Pharmacists Syndicate promised that various types of medicines would be available in pharmacies by the end of this month.

Jihad Wadehi, a member of the syndicate, said in an interview with the loyalist newspaper Al-Watan: “Most of the medicines that are not in pharmacies will be available by the end of January”.

Wadehi added that the Pharmacists Syndicate is currently working on setting an official and fixed tariff for medicine prices.

He pointed out that providing all medicines will take time and there will be a shortage of one or more types, noting that the union is working on finding solutions to avoid the shortage and the availability of various types of medicines.

He pointed out that the medicines that are not available in pharmacies are related to antibiotics, while the shortage of medicines for chronic diseases is being filled by a number of “national” companies.

Al-Wadehi explained that the union issued an official tariff for prices, and violators will be pursued through joint committees between it and the Ministry of Health.

Al-Wadehi justified the reasons for the rising price in medicines in Assad regime-held areas, saying: “The rise is due to the high cost of imported raw materials and their scarcity in Syria,” stressing that the availability of medicines in the market will help in stabilizing their prices.

The high prices of medicines negatively affect the citizens, due to their inability to bear the high purchasing expenses, especially those related to permanent and chronic diseases.

The prices of medicines in the Assad regime-controlled areas have increased by 30% during the past month, which is the second increase in their prices during the past year.