[News] Report Reveals Deficiencies in Morocco’s Medical System

[G R 4 V E N ⵣ]

 

Rabat – In a recently published press release, Morocco’s Competition Council described the country’s pharmaceutical market as “fragmented and inconsistent” and based on “inadequate and sometimes outdated legal framework.”

The press release reports an analysis of the national pharmaceutical policy in Morocco and reveals that the policy is fragmented and lacks a coherent overall vision.

Despite having a developed pharmaceutical industry with a significant production potential and an annual investment of more than MAD 800 million (nearly $ 90million), Morocco’s pharmaceutical sector remains a very important but under-exploited driver of economic development, according to the press release.

The document provided data showing that Moroccans’ low medicine consumption reflects a systemic lack of access to medicines across Morocco, especially for low-income families.
Moroccans’ low purchasing power affects the budget they reserve for health. The country’s annual budget for health-related issues is estimated at nearly MAD 1500 ($ 168) per person.

Despite notable improvements in Morocco’s medical and social coverage, nearly 31% of Moroccans remain without any health insurance. The ineffective governance and pricing prevailing in Morocco’s pharmaceutical market considerably affects citizens’ access to medicines, the report found.

To deal with the issue, the Competition Council called for an in-depth reform of the legal framework organizing Morocco’s medicine market. It also urged the Moroccan government to build an effective national medicine ecosystem, supported by a strong pharmaceutical industry and an appropriate national innovation and training system.

The 2019 annual report by the same agency indicates that in Morocco, 51 Industrial Pharmaceutical Establishments (EPI) authorized by the government have the right to import, manufacture, and distribute medicines. The sector generates employment for 50,000 people.

In 2019, the sector achieved a turnover of MAD 12.8 billion (nearly $ 1.4 billion), contributing 1.5% to the total turnover of national GDP and 5.2% to industrial GDP.

Earlier this month, Morocco approved a draft framework law on social protection, with the main goal of generalizing basic compulsory health insurance for the 2021-2022 period. The insurance covers the cost of treatment, medicine, and hospitalization, and the hope is for an additional 22 million Moroccans to benefit from it.