Kyrgyzstan completely dependent on import of drugs

Kyrgyzstan is completely dependent on the import of drugs. This was announced today by the director of the Department of Drug and Medical Devices Supply Gulmira Shakirova at a press conference of 24.kg news agency.

According to her, all medicines and medical products are supplied by private pharmaceutical companies.

We are 97 percent import-dependent, and only 3 percent of the drugs are produced by local manufacturers.

Gulmira Shakirova

«The new law on medicines provides for the possibility to regulate pricing by the government. But this is very hard work, not only of the Department or the Ministry of Health alone. The antimonopoly committee, the Ministry of Economy, and the civil sector should be involved,» she said.

«There is a network in Europe that completely monitors all prices for drugs. It is in English. It is very difficult for the CIS countries, but we will consider indirect mechanisms of influence on registration prices, perhaps, by influence on wholesale extra charges. And the second way out of the situation is the introduction of an electronic drug tracking system,» the head of the department added.

Earlier, the executive director of the Association Partner Network Aybar Sultangaziev said about the problem — price of drugs in medical facilities is 3-4 times higher than in a neighboring pharmacies.