Supplying Medicines and Supplements to Cameroon
A practical guide for Cameroonian importers, wholesalers and hospital buyers who source from abroad, and for manufacturers and exporters worldwide selling into Cameroon.
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In Cameroon, the Ministry of Health's DPML registers medicines from a CTD dossier. The timeline is clear: the national commission gives its opinion within three months and the minister decides within two more.
Most imports come through private wholesalers, while CENAME, reorganised in 2024, tenders for essential medicines. Cameroon shares the Central African CFA franc with its CEMAC neighbours, but there is no regional marketing authorisation yet.
Cameroon at a glance
| Regulator | Ministry of Health, through the DPML (pharmacy, medicines and laboratories directorate) |
|---|---|
| Registration | A CTD dossier; commission opinion within three months, ministerial decision within two more; the AMM lasts five years |
| Fast route | An abridged route for WHO-prequalified and stringent-authority-approved products |
| Each import | A local liaison pharmacist is required, and every import needs a prior technical import visa |
| Public buyer | CENAME, reorganised in 2024, for essential medicines |
How to supply medicines to Cameroon
- Appoint a liaison pharmacist. A local liaison pharmacist is required for your products in Cameroon.
- Prepare the dossier. A CTD dossier with Module 1 in French, a CoPP and the plant's GMP evidence.
- Use the abridged route if you can. Products that are WHO-prequalified or approved by a stringent authority can take the abridged route.
- Import with a visa. Get the prior technical import visa for every shipment, and supply private wholesalers or CENAME tenders.
For a medicine not registered in Cameroon, ask your liaison pharmacist whether a special import is possible for your case. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.
Supplements
Confirm with the DPML how your supplement will be classified before you print labels, and keep health claims off the pack. We help brands get supplements made under their own label by GMP-certified contract manufacturers: see nutraceutical private label.
What people in Cameroon search for
Semrush data from October 2026 shows that people in Cameroon search in French: “vitamine c” gets about 1,600 searches a month, “vitamine b12” 1,300, and “vitamine b complexe”, “vitamine d” and collagen 880 each. “compléments alimentaires” gets about 590.
Medicines are searched by their French generic names: “fluconazole” (about 2,360 a month), “ciprofloxacine” (2,080), “metronidazole” (1,330), “nystatine” (1,110) and “amoxicilline” (1,050) (Semrush). Google Keyword Planner puts “médicaments”, “pharmacie”, “pharmacie de garde” and “vitamine” each between 1,000 and 10,000 searches a month (October 2026).
How importers and wholesalers in Cameroon search
Buyers search the institutions by name: “dpml cameroun” and “cename” each get between 100 and 1,000 searches a month (Google Keyword Planner). Trade phrases such as “grossiste pharmaceutique cameroun” or “laboratoire pharmaceutique cameroun” register only weakly.
Originator brands searched by name include Spasfon (phloroglucinol), Inexium (esomeprazole), Duphaston (dydrogesterone), Flagyl (metronidazole), Daflon (diosmin and hesperidin) and Augmentin (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid). Brand names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the medicine.
Supplements we can help you make
Often searched medicines include fluconazole, ciprofloxacin and metronidazole. Some examples we list:
Documents to ask your supplier for
- A Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) in WHO format.
- The plant's GMP evidence, such as a WHO-GMP, EU-GMP or PIC/S certificate, plus any inspection by your regulator.
- The registration dossier (CTD or ACTD), with bioequivalence data for generics where required.
- Stability data for hot climates.
- A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.
Not sure a supplier is genuine? Read how to verify a pharmaceutical supplier. For the neighbouring markets, see our Sub-Saharan Africa import guide.
Sourcing for Cameroon?
Send the product, strength, quantity and the documents your regulator needs. We will match you with GMP-certified manufacturers and suppliers who can serve your market, wherever they are based.
Send your requirement Talk to our team