An Interview with Saif al-Jaibeji of Iraq Health

RT: Per capita income in Iraq has tripled in the last decade and looks set to continue rising. That comes with an increase in demand for pharmaceuticals. How optimistic are you about Iraq’s ability to provide enough trained pharmacists to meet that increase in demand?

SJ: The pharmaceutical market in Iraq is experiencing significant growth relative to other developing markets. This statement applies for both generic and branded medications.

I can categorise the market into 3 segments: public centralized, represented by Kimadia which is the state owned agency purchasing medication and medical equipment through public tendering. Kimadia’s budget is growing every year and it focuses on large tenders. In 2012 Kimadia’s budget was 1.5 billion USD.

The second segment is also public but it is de-centralized: those are direct purchases made by individual public hospitals or by a department of health in one of the districts, out of Kimadia’s tenders.

The third segment which is very important and growing at a higher rate is the private sector.
The above 3 segments are served by Scientific Bureaus or Offices (SO) which are equal to local agents in the regional markets. SO’s sell to Kimadia, public and private hospitals as well as Mathakhers or wholesalers. A retail pharmacy buys from a wholesaler.

The market is served by pharmacists; you have to be a licensed pharmacist and registered with the association to open a scientific office, wholesaler and pharmacy with a different level of experience in the public healthcare system. Kimadia, de-centralized public pharmacies and private pharmacies are also run by pharmacists. Finally, pharmaceutical companies either directly when they have a representative office or indirectly through their agent, use pharmacies as professional reps.

The challenge is not in finding the best resource; in fact it’s more about finding a resource given the limited number of graduates and the continuous migration of professionals out of the country.

Today, on average a licensed pharmacist works two jobs: in the public system in the morning and at a private pharmacy or pharmaceutical company in the afternoon.