Deputy Health Minister: import of affordable medicines has saved citizens $17 mln

Georgian citizens have saved ₾51 million ($17 mln/€16.6mln) since the beginning of imports of affordable medicines from the Turkish market that has caused a reduction of domestic prices, Georgia’s Deputy Health Minister Ilia Ghudushauri said on Sunday.

The official presented updates on the effects of the imports from the Turkish pharmaceutical market four months ago and said over 400 individual types of medical drugs imported through the Government scheme were available in pharmacies across Georgia.

Gudushauri said the medicines included those designated for chronic diseases as well as cardiovascular and respiratory issues, diabetes, neurological needs and more.  He said the Government initiative had effected a 60-80 percent reduction in domestic prices. 

He also said more than 155,000 citizens had purchased the imported medicines since March, claiming the Ministry’s reforms to improve the domestic pharmaceutical sector had “already” been successful in saving customer expenses. The Minister cited reduction in expenses from ₾74 million ($25 mln/€24 mln) to ₾23 million ($7.8 mln/€7.4 mln).

These reforms include increasing the availability of medicines and reducing the population's expenses, as well as strengthening quality control of medicines and promoting their rational use - an important component of this overall reform is the opening up of the Turkish market”, Gudushauri said.

The official also noted the Ministry would continue its work for making more medicines available to citizens and ensuring their affordability, pointing out the number of companies supplying  medical drugs from Turkey was “constantly growing” and adding authorities were working to simplify import procedures.

Ghudushauri said “hundreds of essential medicines” had been “proactively registered”, to “greatly simplify” the process.