Algeria’s drug imports bill shrinks by 25%

Algeria’s pharmaceutical imports invoice reached USD746.07 million over the first five months of 2013, against one billion dollars during the same period in 2012, down 25.4%, according to Algerian Customs. The quantity of imported medicines, however, increased by 5.3%, from 13,711 tonnes during the first five months of 2012 to 14,437 tonnes over the same period in 2013, according to the figures of Algerian Customs’ National Centre of Data Processing and Statistics (CNIS) told APS. The drop in the drug bill, following an increase by more than 13% in 2012, is mainly due to a fall by over 36% in Parapharmaceuticals and more than 25.3% in medicines for human use, which account for most of Algeria’s drug imports.