On the 5th of January and the 6th of February this year, at meetings with representatives of the healthcare sphere, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev set tasks to provide the population with affordable and high-quality medicines, eliminate unjustified prescription of expensive medications by healthcare workers, and solve problems regarding the prevention of overpricing in pharmacies. What has been done?
The First Deputy Minister of Health of Uzbekistan A. Khodjibayev, Chairman of the Board of the Joint-Stock Company “Dori-Darmon” A. Komilov, the head of administration at the State Joint Stock Concern “Uzfarmsanoat” N. Ibrohimov answered this question during a press conference.
The Decree of the President of the country “On measures to further improve the provision of the population with medicines and drug products” signed October 31, 2016, serves as a policy document in the solution of highlighted tasks.
The country carries out significant endeavors on the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, about 150 pharmaceutical companies produce more than 2.2 thousand types of medicines and medical products. In the near future this list will be expanded.
In accordance with the decree, wholesale and retail sales of imported medicines and medical products, as well as purchased from domestic producers, are conducted using the maximum trade allowances for wholesale sales – not exceeding 15% of the purchase price, for retail sale – no more than 20% of the wholesale price.
Fixed prices were set for widely used 300 names of medicines and medical products. Due to their introduction, the prices for domestic medicines and medical products significantly decreased.
Serious measures are taken in cases of violation of the procedure for determining these prices. In order to timely respond to appeals, applications and complaints of consumers, the “helpline” (0371) 242-84-16 of the Ministry of Health operates. Each of them is considered by responsible employees of the ministry and solved within the framework of the law.
255 pharmacies temporarily suspended their licenses; a decision was made to apply the statements of claim to suspend the licenses of 615 pharmacies and their branches.
As the acting head of the Head Directorate for Quality Control of Medicines and Medical Equipment under the Ministry of Health, Ismat Azizov, has reported, a number of drugstores of the country could not manage the sale of domestic and imported medicines and medical products at a strictly fixed price in accordance with the President’s 31 October 2016 resolution “On measures to further improve the provision of the population with medicines and drug products “.
As of March 15 of this year, regional divisions of the Department for Combating Tax, Currency Crimes and Legalization of Criminal Incomes at the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan identified and prevented violations in 870 pharmacies and their branches.
Since January 1, 2017, “consumer corners” were formed in all pharmacies of the country. It contains a minimum list of essential medicines and medical products, a list of nonprescription medicines, a comparative list of prices for 2016 and 2017.
