Economy Ministry: Georgian citizens have saved up to ₾43m following Turkish medicine imports
The Ministry noted customers in Georgia paid about ₾19 million ($6.5m/€6.1m) in medications, instead of ₾62 million ($21.3m/€20.1m) since the launch of the Government initiative to lower costs on the local market by importing medicines from Turkey, with over 125,000 people purchasing Turkish-imported drugs. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Georgian citizens have saved up to ₾43 million ($14.7m/€13.9m) on medicines since the opening of the Turkish pharmaceutical market and the import of medications from the country, the Georgian Economy Ministry announced on Thursday.
The Ministry noted customers in Georgia paid about ₾19 million ($6.5m/€6.1m) in medications, instead of ₾62 million ($21.3m/€20.1m) since the launch of the Government initiative to lower costs on the local market by importing medicines from Turkey, with over 125,000 people purchasing Turkish-imported drugs.
Deputy Health Minister Ilia Gudushauri said more than 400 medicines were available on the country’s pharmacy market at a “significantly lower price” compared to costs before the initiative.
He also noted monthly medication savings of a consumer amounted to ₾140 ($48/€45.5), noting a 60-80 percent reduction of the prices in the country.
About 200 types of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-standard drugs, imported from Turkey, will be available on the Georgian market in about a month, Deputy Health Minister Ilia Gudushauri said on Monday.
General prices for medicines on the Georgian local market have been reduced by 60-80 percent following the import of medications from Turkey, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said earlier today.
Over 100,000 Georgian citizens have purchased drugs imported from Turkey over the two months since the launch of the Government initiative to lower medication costs on the local market by importing products from Turkey, Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili visited a Tbilisi pharmacy on Thursday to inspect the effects of the recent Government initiatives on reducing prices on the Georgian market by importing drugs from Turkey and launching a new prescription system.
The formal proposal of IDS Borjomi, the Georgian company producing and exporting the Borjomi mineral water, to transfer a part of its shares to the Government of Georgia for free, and the ongoing public employment programme were discussed in a meeting of the Economic Council, chaired by the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, on Friday.