Iraq launches medicine-tracking system to fight counterfeit

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Ministry of Health has placed more than 1.7 billion tracking stickers on medicines in the private sector to monitor distribution and stabilize prices, a senior official said on Thursday.

Faten Mohammed Jarallah, director general of Popular Medical Clinics Department at the ministry, told Shafaq News that the labeling initiative is not only for price regulation but also for tracing the movement of medicines imported through private-sector channels—from border entry points to end users, adding, “Any product that does not pass the required inspection cannot receive the official label.”

She stressed that the labels allow inspectors and consumers to verify a medicine’s authenticity, detect counterfeits, and ensure compliance with pricing rules across all private pharmacies, warning that violations will result in fines or legal action, including closure.

The new tracking system comes amid a deepening crisis in Iraq’s pharmaceutical sector, where years of corruption, poor regulation, and counterfeit imports have led to chronic drug shortages and soaring prices.

Read more: Iraq’s Pharmaceutical Crisis: shortages, counterfeit drugs, and ineffective reforms