Since the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic, the prices of medicines in Morocco have continued to rise, causing serious concern among the middle class, already affected by increases in the costs of living. This increase in drug prices endangers access to care for a large segment of the population, despite the government’s ambitious objectives aimed at extending health coverage to more than 22 million Moroccans.
Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, sounded the alarm on Tuesday on this problem during an intervention before the Finance and Economic Development Committee of the House of Representatives within the framework of the 2025 budget law. presented figures, stating that many medicines in Morocco cost three to four times more than prices on the international market.
This situation, described as unacceptable by the minister, places an overwhelming burden on Moroccan households, while undermining the objective of making health care accessible to as many people as possible.
The Budget Minister firmly underlined the need for an in-depth reform of pricing practices applied to medicines in the country. Medicines, a central element of care, represent between 30 and 40% of the total cost of health spending in Morocco. As a result, high prices limit access to treatments, further widening health inequalities. For the middle class, these astronomical costs make it increasingly difficult to access essential treatments, especially since many Moroccans do not benefit from sufficient social security coverage.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated awareness of the importance of expanded access to healthcare and pharmaceutical sovereignty to address health crises. The government’s ambitions to extend social coverage aim to fill current gaps in health protection. However, this initiative is undermined by the obstacles posed by exorbitant drug prices. Without a significant change in direction, it will be difficult for the government to achieve its objectives.
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The question of drug prices also affects the balance between local production and imports. Lekjaa denounced the practices of certain monopolies which, according to him, artificially maintain high prices to the detriment of the population. These practices harm the accessibility of medicines and hinder efforts to build a competitive national pharmaceutical industry.
With this in mind, he stressed the importance of strengthening local production of medicines, a strategic sector to guarantee the country’s health sovereignty. According to Lekjaa, it is imperative that Morocco adopt policies allowing medicines to be produced locally at competitive prices, in accordance with international standards. He also added that medicines that cannot be manufactured locally should be imported, but on terms that do not penalize the local industry. This approach aims to stimulate competition while ensuring that drug prices remain affordable for Moroccans.
A controversial proposal on the import tax and protection of local industry
In response to the concerns raised by the minister, the parliamentary group of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) proposed the establishment of a 40% import tax on medicines with local alternatives. This measure, according to the PJD, would protect the national industry while strengthening Morocco’s pharmaceutical autonomy. For the PJD, not applying such a measure would expose the national industry to unbalanced competition, limiting its ability to develop and meet the needs of the national market.
However, this proposal is far from unanimous. Critics say high taxation could paradoxically increase the price of imported medicines, making the problem worse for consumers. In this context, Lekjaa reiterated the importance of local production, believing that as long as the latter can meet demand, there is no need to import at high prices drugs accessible at lower cost internationally. .
Faced with the emergency, the government is in a hurry to put in place concrete measures. Lekjaa called for a review of drug price regulation mechanisms, with particular emphasis on transparency and fairness. Such a reform would not only benefit citizens, but also the viability of the Moroccan health system, by reducing the burden of medicine spending on households.
Furthermore, the adoption of price regulation measures could help contain the inflationary spiral which is undermining the purchasing power of Moroccans. According to experts, if drug prices continue to rise at this rate, access to care will become a privilege reserved for the wealthiest classes, a scenario that the government seeks to avoid.
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