Foreign pharmaceutical groups involved in shadowy practises to hold sway in Algerian pharmaceuticals market

According to a document of which “Echorouk Al Yaoumi” got a copy, several foreign pharmaceutical groups operating in Algeria have indulged in shadowy practises with the aim of boosting the sales of imported pharmaceuticals in the Algerian market in blatant violation of the laws and regulations in force in the country.

• Certain foreign pharmaceutical companies are said to have engaged in illicit and shadowy practises by wooing doctors and pharmacists with lavish presents and financial gifts into helping the massive sale of their imported pharmaceutical products on the Algerian market.
• Such practises are obviously in contradiction with the laws including executive decree 286 issued on July 6th 1992 in the official gazette.
• This executive decree regulates the functioning of the pharmaceuticals market and includes severe sanctions for any person or company involved in fraudulent or bribery practises.
• This legislation was later backed up by another executive decree related to the health sector, n°85 – 05 published on February 16th 1995 which also provides for heavy sanctions against any offender.
• According to testifying evidence possessed by “Echorouk Al Yaoumi”, several US, French, and Turkish pharmaceutical companies and laboratories have offered financial incentives and bonuses as well as various lavish gifts to doctors, pharmacists and certain wholesale traders involved in the Algerian pharmaceuticals sector in a bid to prompt them to beef up the sale of imported pharmaceuticals in Algeria to the detriment of the budding national production.
• In addition to trying through devious means to boost their sales here, these foreign pharmaceutical firms are also clearly seeking to torpedo Algeria’s ongoing efforts to bolster and expand generic pharmaceutical products in the country.