November 5, 2026
Beirut – “Lebanon Debate”
In light of the successive security and economic crises that the country is witnessing, the strategic importance of supporting the local pharmaceutical industry sector is embodied as a basic pillar for ensuring pharmaceutical security and enhancing citizen confidence in the quality of reliable national medicine.
In this context, the former head of the Pharmacists Syndicate, Dr. Joe Salloum, confirmed that the local pharmaceutical industry sector played a pivotal role in securing the pharmaceutical needs of citizens, during the period extending between 2020 and 2026, which he described as one of the most difficult stages facing the pharmaceutical sector in Lebanon.
Salloum explained, in an interview with “Lebanon Debate” on the sidelines of the launch of the National Campaign for Lebanese Medicine by the Syndicate of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Lebanon, that this stage was characterized by the interruption of medicines and the spread of smuggled and counterfeit systems, while locally manufactured medicine formed a safety valve thanks to its high quality standards.
He pointed out that the efforts made to combat the phenomenon of smuggling and counterfeiting, in cooperation with the “REDTV” channel and the Pharmacists Syndicate, effectively contributed to highlighting its serious dangers, stressing that the local industry remains the mainstay in confronting these challenges.
Salloum concluded by stressing the need for the state to adopt a clear approach to supporting local factories and making national production the cornerstone of pharmaceutical policy, warning against resorting to importing low-quality generic drugs or registering them at the expense of local production.
