The prices of medicines in Morocco remain particularly high, an observation repeatedly mentioned by patients and health professionals alike, and recently confirmed by Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget. During the presentation of the 2025 finance bill before the finance and economic development committee of the House of Representatives, he in fact underlined that certain medicines cost around four times more than abroad, pointing out in particular the finger imports under the guise of national production.
According to the minister, locally manufactured types of medicines should not be imported, in order to support the local pharmaceutical industry. However, their prices should align with international levels, he objects, warning against any monopoly situation which would lead to a rise in prices. And for good reason, the stakes are high. The prices of medicines impact the purchasing power of consumers as much as the financial balance and the sustainability of the compulsory health insurance system, in fact threatening the work of generalizing social coverage, he notes.
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Fouzi Lekjaa also stressed that import authorization should mainly concern medicines not produced locally or requiring a significant production time, measured in years, in order to promote competition and guarantee supply.
A worrying situation
Questioned on this subject by Le360, Saâd Taoujni, in the field of health and social protection, indicates that this situation calls into question State policy in the field of medicine, which must be reviewed in depth. A mission which should be carried out by the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products, a new structure created for this purpose, and which could draw inspiration from good practices adopted in countries where prices are reasonable.
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Among the solutions proposed, our contact recommends group purchases, particularly for expensive treatments for long-term conditions (ALD). In this regard, he cites the role formerly played by the pharmacy of the National Fund for Social Security Organizations (CNOPS), which was abolished, and which granted reductions on the prices of medicines of up to 80%.
This problem, insists the expert, deserves urgent attention, given that the bill for a patient suffering from ALD can be extremely heavy, peaking at nearly one million dirhams per year. The situation is particularly worrying when these medications, which are often expensive, are not reimbursable, forcing patients to cover the full cost. And in conclusion, Saâd Taoujni would like to emphasize that this surge in prices mainly benefits multinationals, much more than local manufacturers or pharmacists.
