Navigating Medication Shortages in Lebanon: Generics, Substitutes & Safety

Lebanon imports roughly 95% of its pharmaceuticals, so the post-2019 currency and import shocks translated quickly into shortages. A 2025 national study of hospital pharmacists found that shortages drove patient-level costs up by about 86% on average — making smart sourcing critical.

Brand vs. generic — what to know

• A generic contains the same active molecule, dose, route and indication as the original.
• Generics typically cost at least 30% less in Lebanon.
• Pharmacists may substitute under the Order of Pharmacists (OPL) dispensing guidelines, but the prescribing doctor can mark "non-substitutable" when clinically required (narrow therapeutic index drugs, epilepsy medication, biologicals).

Practical steps when your usual drug is unavailable

1. Ask the pharmacist for a registered Lebanese-market alternative — same molecule, different brand.
2. If none, ask the pharmacist to call the manufacturer's distributor for an ETA.
3. Call your treating doctor before switching molecule classes (e.g., from ARB to ACE inhibitor) — never self-substitute on your own.
4. Confirm with the pharmacist the source, expiry, and that the packaging carries the MoPH stamp.

Warning signs of unsafe sources

• No box, no insert, packaging in a language other than the registered import language.
• Pricing dramatically below market — counterfeit drugs are a real risk.
• Sales via WhatsApp or social-media groups outside licensed pharmacies.

Chronic-disease patients

The Ministry of Public Health covers selected chronic-disease drugs (cancer, dialysis, organ transplant, some others) through its dispensing programme. Always renew well before you run out and keep at least a 2-week buffer.