21 chronic diseases’ medicines now accessible in pharmacies

CAIRO - 17 August 2017: Twenty-one medicines of chronic diseases, which were not in sufficient amounts, are available in the markets, stressed the Minister of Health Ahmed Emad el-Din on Thursday.

These medicines are accessible in all pharmacies, said Emad el-Din adding that there will not be shortage in medicines in coming periods.

The Ministry of Health focuses on the reports of medicine shortages to control the monopoly of medicines, stated Emad el-Din.

Due to currency drop in Egypt since November 3, 2016, some medicines including life-savers have disappeared from markets.

This is because pharmaceutical companies have phased out some medicines or monopolized others as they had to pay twice as much to import drugs and active ingredients while they should not raise medicine prices above levels set by the Health Ministry making them lose profits, Reuters reported.