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Morocco implements drug price cuts amid pharmacy sector concerns
Morocco is implementing a major pharmaceutical reform that includes a significant reduction in drug prices. A first list of approximately 300 products has been approved, with price cuts ranging from 10% to 70%. The Ministry of Health expects this reform to save over one billion dirhams, with roughly 250 million dirhams directly benefiting patients, particularly those with chronic illnesses. Under the new decree, the price revision cycle will be shortened from five to three years, and for expensive medications exceeding 300 dirhams, the lowest price observed among reference countries will be applied.
However, the MPharma association expressed strong opposition to the economic implications of these changes during its ninth international conference in Rabat. Association CEO Dr. Hasnaa Mamoun warned that the new pricing decree, issued without consulting professional representatives, could push thousands of independent pharmacies toward financial instability or bankruptcy.
Pharmacists are calling for a new economic model to protect the independence of the profession. They are advocating for expanded roles, such as managing vaccinations, rapid testing, and supporting chronic disease patients, to move away from a business model solely dependent on drug profit margins. They also remain opposed to proposals that would allow the liberalization of pharmacy capital to investment chains.
Entities
Hasnaa Mamoun · MPharma · Ministry of Health and Social Protection · Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works of Education and Trunc · Morocco
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Proposed expanded duties for pharmacists include managing chronic disease patients, vaccinations, and rapid testing. aljarida24.ma · al3omk.com · hnews.ma
- [● 3 SOURCES] Pharmacists reject efforts to liberalize pharmacy capital and allow investment chains to enter the sector. aljarida24.ma · al3omk.com · hnews.ma
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Price reductions target drugs that do not represent a significant cost to citizens or health insurance funds. aljarida24.ma
- [● 3 SOURCES] Pharmacists advocate for a new economic model that does not rely solely on drug profit margins. aljarida24.ma · al3omk.com · hnews.ma
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 150 specific drugs account for 57 percent of total drug expenditures by health insurance funds. aljarida24.ma
- [● 3 SOURCES] The new decree on drug pricing was issued without considering proposals from profession representatives. aljarida24.ma · al3omk.com · hnews.ma