Drugs Imports Jump to $1.17 b during the Begining of 2012

Algeria’s imports of drugs noticed a high record during the first half of 2012, with a half-yearly increase of 33.47%, compared to the same period of 2011, as the statistics that were published Sunday, indicated that the import bill of medicines reached $ 1.17 billion compared to $880.4 million during the same period of‭ ‬2011.

Figures of the National Center of Information and Statistics, belonging to the customs, said the quantity of imported drugs noticed an increase of 49.9%, from 10.951 tons during the same reference period of 2011, to 16.208 tons during the first six months of 2012.

Figures of customs services shows that the imports bill of drugs that are widely used among citizens, noticed a significant increase from 9.989 tons to 15.229 tons, I.e an increase of 52.45% during the same reference period. While the pharmaceutical products are second in the drugs imports with $40.3 million, compared to $25.5 million, I.e an increase of 57.8%, then animals drugs come third with $14.93 million of imports, compared to $12.31 million in the same period of 2011, as veterinary drugs noticed an increase of 31.08%, up from 257.8 tons to 337.9 tons during the first six months of 2012.

Prices of medicines that are imported from France are the most expensive ever among the imported drugs in Algeria, and which are compensated entirely by the system of social security, as the French laboratories justified the high prices of its medicines, comparison to its counterpart in Europe, America and even in the Middle East, by the high costs of research and development of pharmaceuticals. However; the French senior professors of medicine started in recent years to launch a strong campaign against the French laboratories of pharmaceuticals, accusing them of selling medicines at prices higher than the prices in Italy, Spain, Germany, Canada and even Britain, for flimsy reasons and justifications in ‭many of ‭times‭, while the Algerian ‭government justified the continuing the almost absolute dependence to the ‭French laboratories with the near marine distance ‭which facilitates the process of shipping.