The problem of the shortage of medicines in Morocco has resurfaced acutely in recent weeks. Indeed, an essential medication for heart patients, used for life, is absent from pharmacies.
This situation, confirmed by testimonies from citizens and health professionals, concerns several Moroccan cities, and not only large cities.
The drug in question, “Aldactone 50 mg”, has not been found in Moroccan pharmacies for more than two months, according to a professional source in the pharmaceutical sector.
Publications on social networks also relayed citizens’ concerns about this shortage, without any official explanation, particularly from the manufacturer (Pfizer), being provided.
This medication is essential to prevent serious complications related to high blood pressure and chronic heart disease. Its absence forces patients to undertake long and grueling searches across different cities.
Dr Mohamed Salami, president of the Moroccan Association of Pharmacists, explains that Law 17.04, governing the pharmaceutical sector in Morocco, obliges the State to ensure rigorous market surveillance, including the production, storage and importation of drugs. drugs. This law also stipulates that a national stock sufficient for at least three months must be guaranteed.
However, according to Salami, the Aldactone shortage is not an isolated case. This reflects a broader problem that is exacerbating patient suffering, especially with the increase in diagnoses and cases of chronic diseases.
According to Salami, two factors mainly explain the scarcity of imported drugs like Aldactone:
Global market dynamics: Manufacturers favor massive orders from large entities, which is not always the case for Morocco.
The supply-demand balance at the national level: He calls on health authorities to strengthen local production and guarantee sufficient supplies, particularly for medicines still heavily dependent on imports.
For Najib, pharmacist in Casablanca, this problem is not specific to Morocco. He recalls that disruptions in supply chains affect many countries.
The shortage may be due to a lack of certain components of the raw materials, but also to commercial or technical issues linked to laboratories and pharmaceutical multinationals.
In Morocco, this shortage has lasted for around two and a half months and also concerns another essential drug for heart patients, “Tambocor 100 mg”.
The expansion of beneficiaries of health coverage systems has led to an increase in demand for these drugs, sometimes making them unavailable in pharmacies.
