Medicine shortages grow in Iran as US tightens sanctions, blockade

Tehran, Iran – Farah, a 59-year-old resident of Iran’s capital Tehran, used to fill her autoimmune prescription with a Swiss-made drug. Now she takes the Iranian-made version and worries that, too, may soon be in short supply.“I switched to the Iranian-made version because of the price and availability,” she told Al Jazeera, giving only her first name. “You might not find the foreign-made version later, and you can’t keep switching because they don’t have the same quality and effectiveness.”Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4US strikes 5 Iranian oil tankers; Tehran targets Jordan base, US warshipslist 2 of 4Israel’s war leaves Lebanon’s schools balancing students and the displacedlist 3 of 4Yemen’s war is back: A new battle for Sanaa and the Red Sealist 4 of 4US increases pressure on Iran with sanctions targeting aviation sectorend of listShe’s now bracing for shortages of the Iranian-made drug, too.Iranian news outlets have reported growing shortages of medicine for cancer and other serious illnesses amid a crisis in Iran’s pharmaceutical sector, as the United States leans on military pressure, sanctions and a naval blockade to squeeze Iranians.About 800 pharmaceutical ...