Although the health sector in Iran faces many challenges as U.S.-led sanctions continue to cripple the system, the restrictions are also forcing Iran's pharmaceutical industry to seek self-sufficiency.
Given common shortages of essential supplies, most drugs are produced locally, helping the sector now valued at four billion U.S. dollars to expand.
Most medical supplies are not technically included in the U.S.-led sanctions regime on Iran.
But with many international banks avoiding financial transactions with the Islamic Republic, the health sector suffers frequent shocks.
Among them, rising costs due to inflation, in turn slows down development in the critical sector.
"Due to the sanctions, certainly we face problems in terms of both distributing and producing medicine. Iranian companies are currently buying low-grade raw materials and, unfortunately, that has a negative impact on this industry," said Javad Sheikhahmadi, a pharmacist.
Faramarz Ekhteraei founded the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient syndicate in Iran more than three decades ago.
The chemical engineer is the mastermind behind Iran's program to fully produce medicine locally.
"In the pharmaceutical (sector), the sanctions are not as hard as other sectors. So generally we have no serious problem. Yes we have the shortage, but you know for the medicine, all part of the world has the shortage. And sometimes here the shortage is for something 20 to 30 items. It is really normal," he said.
Despite the frequent turbulence, Iran's health sector may have benefited from the sanctions after all. They've pushed the country closer to self-sufficiency. Iranian officials said the country now produces more than two-thirds of the molecules it needs to make medicine and 98 percent of finished medical products are produced domestically.
The list of drugs produced locally includes highly complex compounds for heart disease and even cancer treatments.
But the Iranian health sector faces another challenge -- avoiding brain drain.
A Tehran based migration research center says only 15 percent of doctors it surveyed are determined to stay in Iran, while 40 percent want to leave.
"Certainly I've thought about migrating, but I love my country and I deeply want to be here. I tolerate the situation. We hope change will come, and our country will flourish so that we can face every challenge," said Sheikhahmadi.
Iran's pharmaceutical sector keeps up under U.S.-led sanctions
Iran's pharmaceutical sector keeps up under U.S.-led sanctions
Iran's pharmaceutical sector keeps up under U.S.-led sanctions
