IRAQ: HEALTH MINISTRY CRACKS DOWN ON BLACK-MARKET MEDICINES

The Iraqi Ministry of Health, in response to a reported rise in the sale of drugs on the black market, has launched a campaign to prevent the entry of illegal medicines into the country and halt the sale of expired pharmaceuticals. "We have seen an increase in different kinds of drugs in the nation's pharmacies, and most haven't been checked for their side-effects and quality," Ahmed Sarawi, a senior official at the Ministry of Health, said on Monday.

Reuters AlertNet (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/3d1ab89146e06326745c2fa38292f766.htm)