Yemen: Aden pharmacists stage partial strike in protest against rising drug prices.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Sea - Follow-ups: Pharmacists and pharmacy owners in the capital, Aden, staged a protest yesterday in front of the Public Prosecutor's office in the Al-Solban area, to express their rejection of the policies of pharmaceutical companies and suppliers, announcing the continuation of the partial strike they started days ago. The protesters said that the motives for the strike are due to what they described as the "greed" of companies, which did not commit to reducing drug prices in line with the improvement in the value of the local currency, but rather imposed lists with higher prices than before, which was directly reflected in the suffering of citizens. In a statement addressed to the Public Prosecutor, pharmacy owners presented a number of demands, most notably: - Canceling the current price lists, which they described as "exaggerated and unrealistic." - Returning to the prices approved in the period between January and June 2024, considering that the exchange rate at that time is equivalent to its current price. - Obligating companies to put a clear selling price on each drug item to unify prices between pharmacies. - Imposing control over any new pricing so that it is issued by the competent authorities and not by companies. - Stopping the armed manifestations accompanying the inspection campaigns, which - according to them - distorted the image of pharmacists in front of citizens. During the protest, Dr. Ayman Salem Rabie - representing the pharmacy owners - affirmed that the aim of the partial strike is to protect the citizen from the unjustified increase in drug prices, stressing that they are "with the citizen, not against him," and are ready to reduce prices in line with the current exchange rate. He also called for a halt to the use of military force in regulatory campaigns, praising the Public Prosecutor's understanding and positive response to their demands, who promised to put in place mechanisms to control the drug market in accordance with the law. This move came as a message from pharmacists to the authorities that the continuation of the drug crisis depends on the absence of real oversight of suppliers and companies, and that the partial strike will continue until their demands are met in a way that alleviates the burden on citizens and maintains market stability.