Page 67 - GHES-3-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Pharmaceutical system in Iraq

maximizing resources, building an effective workforce, an understudied field. Included sources encompassed
ensuring the availability of pharmaceutical products, government and non-government publications, both
reducing disease burden, ensuring the provision of essential digital and print, in English and Arabic. Eligibility was
healthcare, improving quality of care, improving health also restricted to articles and resources that discussed
promotion, enhancing mental health services, supporting Iraq’s healthcare system and specifically analyzed the
private healthcare sector, and encouraging community pharmaceutical system and pharmaceutical education.
participation. Although the importance of pharmaceutical The selected data were scrutinized and critically analyzed
security is acknowledged in the policy, this issue must for details pertaining to the pharmaceutical environment
be addressed through regulatory structures and robust of Iraq. The extracted information was then synthesized
systems within the sector. In addition, the interdependence into figures to illustrate the structures, processes, and
between pharmaceutic al functions and other healthcare interrelationships within the pharmaceutical industry.
priorities warrants further analysis and integration into
policy development. 3. Structure of the pharmaceutical sector
Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical market in Iraq has 3.1. Structure of the public sector
seen rapid growth over the past few years. Valued at The pharmaceutical sector in Iraq is centrally managed
approximately 4.6 billion US dollars in 2020, it is on an by the MoH. It is divided into two main segments: public
increasing trend (Mosawi, 2020; Underwood, 2020). It had and private (Al Hasnawi et al., 2009; Al Hilfi et al., 2013).
been estimated that the growth will continue at a rate of 10 The MoH oversees the entire pharmaceutical regulatory
– 15% per annum over the period 2018 – 2022 (Frost and process through several technical units, including the
Sullivan, 2018; Management Partners, 2013). Therefore, Directorate of Inspection, the Directorate of Technical
the Iraqi pharmaceutical market presents an attractive Affairs (DTA), the State Company for Marketing Drugs
opportunity to invest, not only for local stakeholders but and Medical Appliances (KIMADIA), and the Directorate
also for international enterprises (Frost and Sullivan, of Public Health (Al Hasnawi et al., 2009; Al-Hiti, 2019;
2018). Al-Jumaili et al., 2013), as illustrated in Figure 1. KIMADIA
This review provides an overview of the structures and is a state-owned enterprise under the MoH that holds
processes that define the pharmaceutical system in Iraq – exclusive responsibility for the importation, procurement,
its strengths, limitations, and contribution to the current storage, and distribution of medicines, medical supplies,
healthcare system. It serves as a resource for domestic and medical equipment, laboratory materials, medical spare
international stakeholders to support growth and guide parts, chemical materials, and the preparation of serums
the upcoming iteration of the National Health Policy. In and vaccines for the public sector (Al-Lela et al., 2012;
addition, the information herein aims to provide a platform Rasheed & Abbas, 2017). It operates through a commercial
for further research and more informed decision-making. tender procurement system, and its annual purchases
These improvements are expected to enhance healthcare were estimated at over 600 million US dollars in 2013
outcomes, promote economy diversification, reduce (Management Partners, 2013).
dependence on the oil industry, and increase productivity In theory, the MoH procures and supplies all necessary
through better health and social stability (Ondere & medicines and medical appliances to public pharmaceutical
Garfield, 2015; Suhrcke et al., 2007). dispensaries through KIMADIA (Al-Jumaili et al., 2013;

2. Methods Republic of Iraq Ministry of Health, n.d.a). However,
in practice, this process is often hindered by systemic
This narrative review was conducted to identify and map challenges within the pharmaceutical sector, allowing
findings from studies that examined Iraq’s healthcare and the Directorate of Health to directly procure medicines
pharmaceutical systems. The following search terms were and medical appliances from private enterprises within
applied in EMBASE, Google, PubMed, Scopus, and Web the larger healthcare market (Figure 2). The annual value
of Science to locate relevant sources: “medicine policies,” of these private sector procurements has been estimated
“healthcare system,” “Iraq,” “pharmaceutical system,” at a range of 150 – 250 million US dollars (Management
“pharmacy education,” “pharmaceutical industry,” and Partners, 2013).
“medicine regulatory framework, 2003.” Additional digital The DTA is considered the backbone unit for
sources were retrieved from official websites. regulating pharmaceutical and health products in Iraq.
Sources were included if they were published Its scope includes medicines, vaccines, blood and blood
within the past 25 years to ensure both the currency components, biological materials, narcotics and addictive
and comprehensiveness of the review, given that it is materials, diagnostics, medical devices, herbal/traditional

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 59 https://doi.org/10.36922/GHES025110025