The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that it has increased the prices of 3,000 drugs, of which about 300 drugs are against chronic diseases. Minister of Health Ahmed Emad El-Din said in a statement that the ministry has agreed with pharmaceutical companies to move up the prices of 15% of local drugs and 20% of foreign drugs (totaling 3,000 drugs), out of 12,000 drugs in the market. This increase was approved after several meetings with state regulatory agencies, and local and international pharmaceutical companies. The companies, however, provided lists including those drugs, because the ministry did not provide a clear definition of medications against chronic diseases. The minister said that the government did not bow to pharmaceutical companies, and based negotiations and solutions on serving the Egyptian patient’s health.

Source: Daily News Egypt January 11, 2017 15:43 UTC