Georgian doctors will not be allowed to collude with pharmaceutical companies

The Parliament of Georgia will consider the bill on violations of
conflicts of interests, Business Georgia reports.

After the bill comes into force, physicians will be prohibited from
colluding with pharmaceutical companies in commercial interests. In
case of violation of the rule, doctors will be fined. According to the
Health Minister, Andrija Urushadze, doctors will be required to offer
patients a wide range of drugs with various explanations, and not the
drugs of one particular pharmaceutical company.

"When writing out a prescription, a doctor legally received a reward
from pharmaceutical companies. In this case, the doctor had a
motivation to sell more drugs, frequently expensive medicines. Part of
the cost of the expensive medicine was the physician’s compensation.
After the adoption of this bill such facts will be eliminated,” said
the minister.

According to the new bill, in case of violation of these rules, a
doctor or an employee of a health facility will be fined the
equivalent of $1,170. In the case of repeated violations the fine
rises to $2,340.