Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili said the reference prices set for medicines would come into effect on February 15 and all companies, importers, distributors or retailers would be required to establish a maximum upper limit accordingly.
According to the minister, the establishment of reference prices has been a part of the reform, aiming to provide citizens with the most affordable and high-quality healthcare and medicines.
As Azarashvili noted, the pharmaceutical sector would have time until January 31 to revise their prices and violators would be imposed with various types of sanctions.
The minister stressed that a “significant” control mechanism was included in the Georgian Law on Medicines, obliging pharmaceutical wholesalers or retailers to provide the State Regulatory Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities [of the Georgian Ministry of Health] with balances, lists of medicines and prices.
The Agency has also been working on the creation of a medical drug traceability system, allowing both an individual and a regulator to easily obtain information on medicine through the barcode, helping the body to track the circulation of falsified and expired medicines, Azarashvili added.
