Expired medicines piling up in Lebanon’s pharmacies pose a serious risk to patients’ lives and must be collected and destroyed outside the country, the head of the Order of Pharmacists said on Monday.

“Expired drugs are no less dangerous than counterfeit ones,” Dr. Joe Salloum told Voice of Lebanon radio. “Pharmacies have become ticking time bombs threatening patients’ lives.”

Salloum accused some pharmaceutical companies and factories of refusing to retrieve expired stock, leaving pharmacists unable to dispose of them due to restrictions aimed at protecting the environment and public safety.

He urged the Health and Environment ministries to act swiftly, warning that the accumulation of expired drugs in pharmacies is as dangerous as the circulation of counterfeit medicine.

Salloum pointed to Article 53 of the Pharmacy Practice Law, which obliges companies to take back expired medicines and destroy them outside Lebanon. He said a State Council ruling issued on January 25 backed the Order’s lawsuit against a previous health ministry decision that had obstructed enforcement of the law.

“I have full confidence that Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine and Enviraonment Minister Tamara Zein will not hesitate to take the necessary steps to protect patients’ lives and environmental safety,” he said.