When greed takes over: How pharmacies turned lifeline into profit game

In a time when several pharmacists have been evading regulations and crossing ethical boundaries, turning the profession into a business, the daily lives of Lebanese citizens have turned into a constant search for affordable medication. But "not every time will you get what you need."

Hunger to achieve illicit profits at the expense of patients' medication has backfired on its perpetrators. Here is what happened at one of the Lebanese pharmacies.

Closure with red wax and legal action were taken after the Ministry of Health discovered that the pharmacy was not adhering to the daily price index set by the MedLeb application.

What happened in the pharmacy on Tuesday served as a warning bell for all pharmacists. 

However, after confirming that the pharmacist manipulated drug prices and sold them at a higher price than the drug price index, the ministry warned that any pharmacy following its lead would face legal prosecution.

The President of the Pharmacists Syndicate rushed to circulate the news of the Ministry of Health's closure of the pharmacy located in the Bouchriyeh area through the pharmacists' Whatsapp groups, demanding compliance with the laws and price index. Otherwise, the Syndicate will not provide any protection.

Did the commitment and adherence to the official price index spread among pharmacists?

To ensure that the pharmacy or any pharmacy in Lebanon adheres to the drug price index set by the Health Ministry, you should download the MedLeb Patient Guide on your mobile phone, which enables you to access all the information related to medication, especially its selling price.

However, some pharmacies are 100% committed to the ministry's index, especially after the Syndicate's circulation, while others simply say that medications are not available.