Criticism Over Approval of ‘Methadone Distribution Through Pharmacies’ Plan in Iran
A number of addiction prevention activists and practitioners in Iran have criticized the approval of the plan to ‘distribute narcotic drugs and methadone through pharmacies,’ instead of providing medications and treatment services as a single package in one center.
The plan ‘to distribute narcotic drugs through pharmacies’ was presented by the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters and proposed by the Ministry of Health.
As Iran’s Food and Drug Organization announced last year, according to this plan, methadone and narcotic drugs would be distributed as a package through a selected pharmacy.
Methadone is a type of synthetic narcotic used as a medication to prevent addiction to heroin, opium, and other narcotic substances.
With the new plan, the direct sale of methadone to patients would practically be prohibited and transferred to pharmacies.
However, the plan has faced criticism, and moreover, it appears that insufficient time has been allocated for its implementation.
Among the criticisms, those raised by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers have been notable.
Mojtaba Ghanbari, head of this association, told the ISNA news agency: ‘For addiction recovery, medications and treatment services must be provided together as a single package in one center, and if medications are separated from treatment services, not only are we violating international and national laws, but social harms will also increase.’
Mr. Ghanbari also stated that providing treatment and medications in one center is supported by ‘international laws of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’ as well as Iran’s own laws.
According to Mojtaba Ghanbari, separating medications from treatment could lead to an ‘addiction epidemic in the country’ and ‘white-collar addicts not visiting pharmacies due to fear.’
Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters said ‘there is no cause for concern.’ The secretary of the Treatment and Social Support Committee of the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters also emphasized that ‘methadone enjoys high sensitivity among national officials.’
Source: Radio Farda
