Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Daily Star staff

Association of Pharmacists president Ghassan Amin denied Wednesday that he had referred to members of the Drug Committee at the National Social Security Fund as “idiots,” but affirmed a list of NSSF-approved medicines issued by the fund was “idiotic.”
Amin’s comments, intended to clarify recent statements made during an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, came during a news conference at the association’s headquarters in Corniche al-Nahr. Prior to the conference, Amin invited reporters to his office where he played a video tape of the LBCI interview, aired 10 days ago.
In the interview, Amin described a medicine list issued by the NSSF’s Drug Committee as “an idiotic list full of flaws.” In accordance with NSSF regulations, every three months the Drug Committee issues a list of medicine for which it will reimburse its subscribers.
NSSF director-general Mohammed Karaki accused Amin last week of defamation for calling Drug Committee members idiots. For his part, Amin stressed the difference between belittling the drug list and verbally attacking committee members. Karaki was not available for further comment.
Meanwhile, Amin has continued his attack on the NSSF-approved drugs: “Some listed medical products were either not registered at the Public Health Ministry or were internationally banned,” he said. “Other necessary drugs were not included on the list, while some drugs that are out of stock since their production has stopped were listed.”
“There are some weird mistakes in this list,” he added. “The NSSF pays for some listed drugs with a 60mm dosage, but does not pay for the 100mm (dosage) even though the latter is cheaper and saves money for both the patients and the government.”
Amin gave reporters a list of medicines that the Association of Pharmacists suggested be added to the NSSF list and another of medicines to be removed. He said his criticism of the NSSF list stemmed from “public responsibility and does not aim at undermining the credibility of or defaming any of the Drug Committee’s members.” Due to pharmacists’ complaints, the NSSF decided to temporarily suspend its list and refund subscribers for the purchase of all medicine. “But the list we complained about will be in effect by August,” Amin said.
Amin discussed the NSSF decision to exclude from its list all drugs produced in Arab countries: “We did not understand the reason behind this decision. When we inquired, all NSSF officials denied any responsibility for the exclusion of Arab-manufactured medicine.”
In March, Syria and Lebanon signed a protocol stipulating that regulations for medicines apply to all pharmaceutical products made in the two countries. But Amin said the protocol had not yet been put into effect.
He added that after repeated objections from the association before the LBCI interview, the NSSF had promised to reconsider its list by adding a supplement of 360 brands, but said the NSSF-approved supplement has not yet been implemented.

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