“Lebanon Debate”
After more than a year, the State Shura Council annulled the decision of the caretaker Minister of Health, Firas Abyad, which caused major damage to pharmacies and threatened the health of patients and the environment alike.
In this context, the head of the Lebanese Pharmacists Syndicate, Joe Salloum, indicated to “Lebanon Debate” that “about a year ago, the Ministry of Health issued a decision regarding returns, by which public warehouses and pharmacies are prohibited from returning medicines to their importers and local factories, except after verification procedures by Pharmaceutical inspection at the Ministry and obtaining the Minister’s approval.”
Salloum considered, “This decision, in one way or another, led to the accumulation of expired medications in pharmacies, which puts the lives of patients at risk, especially since, according to the law, the pharmacist has no right to destroy them on the grounds that they harm the environment.”
He stressed that “this decision led to several problems, so we filed a lawsuit before the State Shura Council to invalidate this decision. Indeed, the Council invalidated this decision on 1/25/2024, and it supported the patient’s health and removed the danger from him.”
He pointed out that “the Basic Law forces the importer and manufacturer to take back expired medications from pharmacies and replace them with a drug that has a long history, and obliges them to export those expired ones abroad for destruction.”
He added, “Today, with the State Shura Council revoking the decision of the Minister of Health in the caretaker government, Firas Al-Abyad, the importer and manufacturer must adhere to the Basic Law, by returning expired medicines that are destroyed outside the country, and compensating the pharmacist with alternative medicines.”
While Salloum appealed to “importers and factories to implement the basic law for practicing the profession of pharmacist,” he asked “all pharmacies to send any complaint against any importer or factory that violates the returns law after the Shura Council issued a ruling in favor of the union, and the signed protocol, to Mrs. Eliza, to take appropriate measures.” On the following number 03790916.
2024-03-11 12:06:18
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