Iran faces critical drug shortages amid escalating US sanctions and naval blockade
Iranians are struggling to access essential medicines as shortages affect about 800 pharmaceutical products, including 90 life-saving drugs. Prices for common medications have surged dramatically, with insulin costs up to six times higher than a year ago. Authorities maintain the pharmaceutical sector will not collapse despite the crisis.
The crisis combines wartime destruction with long-standing financial restrictions. Israeli strikes have damaged or destroyed roughly 44 pharmaceutical and medical equipment firms, while US sanctions have crippled the logistics needed to import vital raw materials, despite formal humanitarian carve-outs.
Patients face steep price hikes, with insulin costing up to six times more than last year and common drugs like amoxicillin and acetaminophen rising by hundreds of percent. One Tehran resident switched from an imported autoimmune medication to a domestic alternative, fearing even that substitute will soon vanish.
The shortages could severely impact chronic patients and the elderly, who may face treatment interruptions or forced reliance on lower-quality substitutes. This may drive individuals toward unregulated black markets, increasing health risks. If financial and military pressures persist, Iran's domestic production capacity could degrade further, potentially triggering a wider public health emergency that affects routine care and emergency medicine alike.