Supplying Medicines and Supplements to DR Congo
A practical guide for Congolese importers, wholesalers and hospital buyers who source from abroad, and for manufacturers and exporters worldwide selling into the DR Congo.
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a huge, fragmented market. Its regulator, ACOREP, took over from the old pharmacy directorate in 2020 and grants five-year marketing authorisations.
Two things help exporters: ACOREP now checks import permits and the cold chain at the port of Matadi, which rewards well-documented shipments, and the DRC is an active member of ZAZIBONA, the southern African joint assessment.
DR Congo at a glance
| Regulator | ACOREP (Autorité Congolaise de Réglementation Pharmaceutique), since 2020 |
|---|---|
| Registration | Marketing authorisations last five years |
| Imports | ACOREP checks import permits and the cold chain at the port of Matadi |
| Regional route | An active ZAZIBONA member: a CTD dossier filed in at least two active members is assessed jointly |
| Public supply | A national supply programme coordinates public procurement |
How to supply medicines to DR Congo
- Find a Congolese importer. A local importer holds the import permits ACOREP checks at the port of Matadi.
- Prepare the dossier. A CTD dossier with Module 1 in French, a CoPP and the plant's GMP evidence.
- Consider ZAZIBONA. If you also want other southern African markets, file in at least two active ZAZIBONA members for a joint assessment, which the countries then fast-track.
- Ship it right. Have permits and cold-chain records in order for the checks at Matadi.
For a medicine not registered in the DRC, ask your importer whether a special import is possible for your case. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.
Supplements
Confirm with ACOREP 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 DR Congo search for
Semrush data from October 2026 shows that people in the DRC search in French: “vitamine c” gets about 1,600 searches a month, “collagène” 1,300, “vitamine b1” and “vitamine d” 880 each and “vitamine b12” 720.
Medicines are searched by their French generic names, such as “azithromycine” (about 1,060 a month), “doxycycline” (930), “metronidazole” (760), “dexamethasone” (740) and “cefixime” (720) (Semrush). Google Keyword Planner puts “médicaments”, “pharmacie”, “vitamine” and “collagène” each between 1,000 and 10,000 searches a month (October 2026).
How importers and wholesalers in the DRC search
The regulator is searched by name: “acorep” gets between 100 and 1,000 searches a month, as does “amm” (marketing authorisation) (Google Keyword Planner). Trade phrases such as “grossiste pharmaceutique” or “importation de médicaments” register only weakly.
Originator brands searched by name include Spasfon (phloroglucinol), Duphaston (dydrogesterone), Augmentin (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid), Flagyl (metronidazole), Daflon (diosmin and hesperidin) and Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide). 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 azithromycin, doxycycline 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 DR Congo?
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