ArmInfo. Import of medicines to Armenia will be liberalized. The Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia Arsen Torosyan stated by at the hearings in the commissions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on execution of the state budget of the country in 2017.
According to him, within the framework of reforms in the healthcare system, it is planned to provide an opportunity for all interested companies to supply pharmaceuticals to Armenia, subject to all norms. This measure, the minister continued, will lead to lower prices for medicines, including drugs for the treatment of cancer in the domestic market of the republic. In this case, it is stipulated that the state itself will determine the list of medicines, and offer it to the suppliers.
The work is underway to study the possibilities of releasing drugs, which will be imported to Armenia within the framework of the state order, from VAT. "We are negotiating on this issue with the State Revenue Committee on the possible impact of this decision on the country's budget.If it turns out that the influence is not significant, we will take this step," said Arsen Torosyan, while pointing at the situation in Georgia, where the prices for pharmaceuticals are much lower than in Armenia.
Earlier, the Armenian parliament adopted amendments to the law "On medicines", which authorize the medical centers of the country to import medicines for their own needs. Currently, only large wholesale companies have the right to import medicinal products. Thus, out of 150 importing companies, 5 account for 75% of all deliveries, which affects prices. In this regard, it is proposed to expand the field of pharmaceuticals slightly. In particular, it is proposed to provide hospitals with the right to import medicines for themselves without a license for wholesale trade if the hospital has a pharmacy license. In addition, it is proposed to allow individuals to import medicines from abroad not only for their own needs, but also for the needs of family members. At the same time, it is allowed for individuals to import from abroad no more than 10 names of medicinal products.