A pharmacy in Beirut. (Credit: João Sousa.)
BEIRUT — On Monday, the Lebanese Union of Drug Importers and Wholesalers (LPIA) joined an urgent parliamentary health committee meeting to demand a stop to drug smuggling and punishments for pharmacies involved. The union was represented by Vice President Adnan Dandan and Treasurer Marwan Hakim.
The meeting was held in the presence of the committee's chairman, MP Bilal Abdallah, the Health Ministers, Rakan Nassereddine, and Justice, Adel Nassar, as well as representatives of the ministries of Interior and Defense, as well as security officials.
"Products arriving in Lebanon through illegal channels are not drugs. The components of drugs must be proven by analyses and official documents submitted to legal control bodies," emphasized the LPIA in a statement published after the meeting. It also urged pharmaceutical depot owners and the Health Minister to act on the removal of illegal products from the market and sanction the concerned pharmacies.
The LPIA urged "an end to drug smuggling because of the catastrophic repercussions on the health and safety of citizens," and demanded the adoption of a "clear and effective plan, applicable to everyone without exception." "We join the president of the Pharmacists' Order, Joe Salloum, in asserting that pharmacies must become safe places for patients again, and that offenders must be sanctioned. We call on the Justice Ministry and the judicial authorities to closely monitor the cases of offending pharmacies, and security services to dismantle smuggling networks," the statement continued.
The LPIA also assured that pharmaceutical products registered with the Health Ministry and distributed by international companies are available without interruption on the Lebanese market.
Since the start of the economic crisis in Lebanon in 2019, smuggled drugs have been on the rise, especially those manufactured in Iran or Syria, at a time when many original medications were out of stock in the market. Some of the smuggled drugs are sold without control in Palestinian refugee camps where numerous illegal pharmacies operate.