Yemeni pharmacists warned against the grave consequences of Houthi militias tampering with drug supplies in the country, flooding stores with unsafe generics that threaten the lives of Yemenis nationwide.
Pharmaceutical officials, speaking under the condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi practice could lead to the break out of endemics and dozens of patients dying from improper treatment.
The Iran-backed militias had also been selling painkillers as specialized treatment drugs. Although the pills seem to drown the pain, they leave the illness untreated and increase the chances of the condition getting worse.
With depleted funds leaving the insurgency’s highest echelons desperate, Houthi insider sources admitted to fake drugs being sold off in coup-run areas to funnel more cash into their war effort.
According to agents who work with imported drugs in coup-run areas, many poor quality drugs have been approved by the coup’s self-styled regulators.
These medicines are not only harmful to patients and destabilize the local pharmaceutical economy, but have also set the pretext for Houthis to extort legal and qualified agents and dealers.
Houthis are looking to establish a monopoly over the drug market in areas they run. This has led to them targeting stable and reasonable drug rates without taking into account the terrible economic conditions suffered by Yemeni patients.
More so, pharmacists considered any license issued by Houthis void “because legal procedures practiced are not valid and go against conventional provisions for accreditation.”
Houthi-granted licenses are also issued by self-styled health offices both randomly and without respect for standards.
The Houthi-run Supreme Commission for Medicines has published data showing the bill for imported drugs in 2018 amounted to about 65 billion Yemeni riyals.
According to the report, the insurgents are allegedly importing drugs and medical supplies from more than 20 countries.
