Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili stated on Sunday, March 13, that general pediatricians in the country will be able to only prescribe generic drugs to their patients, without specifying a label of the drug, starting next month.
In an interview with a local TV channel, the Health Minister said the decision aimed to provide Georgian people with freedom of choice in medical products was a part of creating a “well-regulated and transparent pharmaceutical market” in Georgia.
Moreover, he also emphasized the importance of not prescribing “biased or excessive amounts” of medications, saying the Ministry had developed an action plan for the purpose.
The news about generic medications follows the country’s import of medicines from Turkish manufacturers, which has resulted in the reduction of prices for the most in-demand drugs. Since March 1, a system of digital prescriptions has also been in use, with Azarashvili claiming that it will allow for “greater market control.”
The government has decided to allow the importation of medicines from the Turkish market while trying to cool down the prices of the medications in Georgia, which will prove to be a respite for the masses and promote the competitive forces in the country.
PM Irakli Garibashvili announced last week that general prices for medicines in the local Georgian market had been declined by 60-80 per cent following the importation of drugs from Turkey.
Furthermore, medical products such as supplies and drugs for Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) had tremendously decreased from 220 GEL (about $68/€61) to 48 GEL ($14/€13),
Garibashvili announced his team’s initiative to ensure a reduction of general prices of pharmaceuticals for people of Georgia at the end of last year, citing a significant cost difference between drugs made under the Good Manufacturing Practices standard on the Turkish market in comparison with their price in Georgia.
The pharma industry globally has been under tremendous pressure since the dawn of the pandemic.
