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Pharmacists demand protection after colleague killed in his Constantine shop

9 November 2026 · Algeria Now

Pharmacists demand protection after colleague killed in his Constantine shop — Photo : static.allodocteurs.fr (adresse collée)

Algeria's national pharmacists' union has called for urgent security measures after a pharmacist, identified only by the initials N.M., was killed inside his pharmacy in the centre of Constantine, one of the country's largest cities.

In a statement, the national bureau of the National Union of Pharmacists in Private Practice (SNAPO) condemned what it called a criminal act and offered its support to the victim's family. The pharmacy stands in a busy central district.

Witnesses have described the attacker as having psychiatric problems, but the union stressed that this has yet to be established by the judicial inquiry. No details of an arrest or charge had been made public. SNAPO said it trusts the judiciary to establish the facts, identify responsibilities and bring the perpetrator to trial.

The union argues that pharmacies are exposed because they are open to the public with no filtering at the door. It is urging the authorities to protect pharmacies and their staff, and to launch the digital platform for monitoring prescriptions of psychotropic medicines, a tool provided for in article 8 bis of law no. 23-05 that has not yet been deployed. According to the union, such a system would help combat forged prescriptions and give pharmacists legal cover when they refuse to dispense drugs under pressure.

Psychotropic pills, often sold illegally, have become a major concern for Algerian security services, which regularly report large seizures. Pharmacists say they are on the front line of that fight, caught between strict dispensing rules and customers who may react violently when refused.

The case will be closely watched by a profession that has repeatedly warned about assaults on its members and now wants concrete protection.

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