Tbilisi: The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, in a government meeting on Wednesday, discussed 10 issues with Members of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Among the issues under discussion were the changes in the draft law of Georgia – “About drug and pharmaceutical activity” and the consequent bills. In particular, from 2023, reference prices for drugs will be set – the state sets the maximum cost limit at which it will be permissible to sell a drug, a worldwide practice.
The aim of the reform is to increase access to quality medicines, fair pricing and ensure a competitive and transparent pharmaceutical market. By pre-calculation, setting reference prices will reduce the cost of drugs by 40% on average.
In the first stage, reference pricing will be established for chronic disease treatments, and gradually the price regulation mechanism will also apply to other group medicines.
It is noteworthy that, on the initiative of the government, from March 2022, the Turkish pharmaceutical market was opened, which reduced the cost of medicines in Georgia by 60-80%. As a result, up to 100 thousand citizens of the country will save up to 200 million GEL annually, and setting reference prices will further improve the availability of drugs.
Also among the issues under discussion were the changes in Regulation N 36 of February 21, 2013 – “concerning certain measures for the transition to universal health care”. In particular, a comprehensive healthcare program will include post-stroke rehabilitation and the rehabilitation of traumatic brain injuries to the head and spinal cord, allowing patients to recover in a timely manner,behavioral skills and prevent the formation of severe restrictions.
The program includes a full course of rehabilitation, monthly budget for rehabilitation components after stroke, head and back brain trauma is 919 250 GEL. The annual budget of the programs is 11 million GEL.
It is noteworthy that since 2023, the budget of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Welfare from the occupied territories will increase by about 770 million GEL, which will allow the agency to grow both universal health care and – others, funding for targeted programs.
