Turkey faces medicine shortages due to currency exchange policies

A significant shortage of essential medicines and vaccines is affecting Turkey, according to the All Pharmacist Employers Union (TEİS). Patients are struggling to find treatments for chronic conditions, including depression, epilepsy, hypertension, and diabetes, as well as eye drops and muscle pain medications.

TEİS President Nurten Saydan identified the primary cause as the government's pharmaceutical pricing system, which utilizes a fixed Euro exchange rate. Saydan noted that while the official rate used for drug pricing is 29.11 TL, the actual market rate has exceeded 55 TL. This discrepancy discourages companies from importing medicines or raw materials, leading to limited supply.

Saydan warned that the lack of available imported drugs and their local equivalents is driving some citizens toward illegal or smuggled medications, posing a serious risk to patient safety. She called for permanent regulatory reforms rather than temporary measures to ensure medicines are both available and affordable.