Despite a staggering 100–400 percent rise in drug prices in recent months, Iran is now facing a new and even harsher wave of medication inflation. This crisis has been triggered by the regime’s mismanagement and the suspension of foreign exchange subsidies for pharmaceuticals, further eroding access to essential medicines.

According to a report by the state-run ILNA news agency, since the beginning of 2025, the cost of some life-saving drugs has surged by as much as 600 percent. As a result, a growing number of retirees and workers are being forced to abandon treatment—either for themselves or their family members—because they can no longer afford the necessary medication.

The report highlights another alarming aspect of the crisis: insurance coverage has not kept pace with the escalating drug prices. The coverage provided by state and private insurance organizations has remained static, leaving patients with little choice but to seek cheaper, often counterfeit alternatives or discontinue treatment altogether.

“Hundreds of thousands of people, especially the elderly and retired workers, have either halted their treatment or resorted to ineffective and potentially dangerous substitutes,” ILNA reported.