With the war in Iran continuing with seemingly no end in sight, some people are worried about their supply of medicine.
However, the main concern isn’t the supply of drugs declining; it’s rising oil prices, which could drive up shipping costs.
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According to Tim Lucas, owner of the DownHome Pharmacy, many pharmaceutical drugs are made in places like India and Asia.
A rising cost of oil, alongside other shipping concerns, could result in higher shipping costs, which raises prices all around.
“If they’re not able to go around Iran, then sometimes they have to ship them all the way around Africa,” Lucas said. “So certainly shipping costs are going to be a big potential for an increase in prices.”
However, the supply doesn’t seem to be in danger of running out, while wait time shouldn’t be affected.
“Most of the products are shipped and kept in warehouses and wholesalers, so there are larger supplies there, and then the shipping to the pharmacies themselves is pretty quick, so you don’t have to worry about those,” Lucas said. “If there’s a shortage in something, then obviously that’s a different story, but as far as general supply, I don’t think they have any concerns.”
This could affect a wide range of products, like over-the-counter drugs, prescription items, petroleum jelly, and Vaseline, and even things like syringes and gloves.