Salloum: Priority to local medicines

No reform without the national drug agency

Joe Saloum, President of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, said after meeting with Industry Minister Joe Issa el-Khoury that “the starting point for any reform in the health and pharmaceutical sector lies in the adoption of the implementing decrees related to the National Drug Agency by the Council of Ministers, as well as a review of all medicines and dietary supplements registered over the past ten years until today.”

In a statement, he praised the efforts of President General Joseph Aoun, Health Minister Rakan Nasreddine, and the Industry Minister, emphasizing the importance of “giving priority to locally manufactured medicines, recognized for their high quality.”

He also discussed with the Industry Minister ways to support and develop the national pharmaceutical industry and attract more factories capable of creating thousands of jobs. These initiatives aim to reduce the cost burden of medicines for citizens, the state, and insurance organizations.