A growing concern in Morocco: shortages of essential medicines are increasing in pharmacies, affecting treatments for cancer, chronic diseases, and ADHD. This alarming and persistent situation is straining families, healthcare professionals, and the entire healthcare system.
The latest warning sign: medications for individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have become nearly impossible to find. In a question to the Health Minister, MP Rachid Hammouni denounced the repeated shortages of these drugs, highlighting the suffering inflicted on families and the urgent need to ensure their availability at affordable prices.
ADHD, a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children that can persist into adulthood, requires consistent medical management. Treatments are crucial for regulating attention, reducing hyperactivity, and improving concentration. Their absence severely disrupts patients’ stability.
The issue extends far beyond ADHD. Public hospitals lack anesthetics essential for surgeries, as well as treatments for tuberculosis, hypertension, and endocrine disorders. Even emergency care is impacted by the shortage of basic medicines and equipment.
In response, some healthcare professionals are now purchasing basic supplies like medical gloves with their own funds. At Harouchi Children’s Hospital in Casablanca, staff rely on other facilities within the CHU Ibn Rochd to address the chronic unavailability of medicines—often without success.
The establishment of the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products, initially expected to resolve the issue, has yet to deliver results. This institutional change, which shifted some responsibilities from the Health Ministry to the new agency, suffers from poor coordination with laboratories and distributors, leaving supply chains unstable and shortages ongoing.
Far from a minor inconvenience, this crisis exposes deep flaws in Morocco’s pharmaceutical regulation and supply system. Swift, coordinated action is now critical to prevent further damage to public health.
