The President of the Pharmacists’ Syndicate, Joe Sloom, affirmed that the solution to securing medication is not to open the country's borders to all forms of smuggling, counterfeiting, and poor-quality medicines. In a statement via "Al-Jadeed," he said, "We have no authority over illegal associations and clinics; the power lies with the Minister of Health and other ministries. We haven't neglected the issue, even though it is outside our jurisdiction; we are in contact with the State Security and the Financial Public Prosecution."
Sloom warned that smuggled medicine and legalizing all forms of counterfeit drugs is a crime against citizens and patients. He noted that inspections by the syndicate lead to the closure of any pharmacy found stocking unregistered medication, but they lack authority outside of pharmacies. He mentioned, "A decision was issued by the Ministry of Health that somehow prohibits the recovery of expired medications and compensation for pharmacists, which has resulted in pharmacies being filled with expired medicines. However, we raised our voices regarding the accumulated medications and filed a lawsuit before the State Consultative Council, which we won, resulting in the annulment of the decision issued by the Ministry of Health."
He added, "I urge importers and manufacturers to comply with the Consultative Council's decision to retrieve expired medicines and send them abroad for disposal. There is no justification for expired medications to remain in pharmacies as they pose risks to patients and the environment and threaten the nature of medicine in Lebanon." He stressed that a pharmacy is not the place for expired medicine.
Sloom confirmed that the Pharmacists’ Syndicate conducts regular inspections and that over 95% of the medicines in pharmacies are safe, calling for a bold political decision to prevent the entry of counterfeit and smuggled medicines into Lebanon. He stated, "Low-quality products are prohibited from entering, and we will maintain the quality of medicines because Lebanon was the hospital of the Middle East and has been turned into a dumpster for the region. I urge the authorities to preserve the quality and safety of medicines and to ensure free access to medication for cancer, chronic, and multiple sclerosis patients for everyone. These patients are in despair because the state has neglected them and focused on its own interests and 'tinkering'."
