Moroccan Drug Prices Soar Despite Generic Medications, Straining Consumer Budgets

The arrival of generics should allow the Moroccan to control his purchasing power with respect to pharmaceutical products. Which is unfortunately not the case. For a decade, the rates of generics have only been regressing. Indeed, the Moroccan pharmaceutical products market is dominated by the monopoly of a handful of laboratories. In total, there are only 15 laboratories which, for decades, have had quasi-control over pharmaceutical sales. The attempts of the Ministry of Health to reverse the trend have remained in vain. Between 2012 and 2017, generic prices increased by 60%. The long-awaited price drop has therefore not occurred.

While efforts are being made in the public sector, nothing has changed in the private sector. Indeed, with regard to generic drugs, they are struggling to break into the private drug market. We had hoped for the first time that the share of generics in the kingdom would reach 40% of the private circuit. Unfortunately, according to the Moroccan Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (AMIP), this rate, which has been stagnating at 30% for a decade, will remain so, according to Leseco.ma. Despite the fact that generic drugs are cheaper than branded ones, it turns out that the latter are the best-selling. The Ministry of Health in an official document makes this bitter observation.

Faced with this situation, the ministry plans strong measures to correct the dysfunctions. To this end, the State plans financial measures, a good awareness campaign for health personnel and consumers. It is also a question of ensuring the reliability of a regulatory framework in line with the priorities of the moment. Not to mention a campaign to promote generics with pharmacists. All of this must be integrated into a good generic drug policy.

But in the meantime, the Moroccan will continue to spend significant amounts. And beyond his purchasing power, to buy drugs in a sector that displays 5.2 billion DH in turnover.