PM: medicines from Turkey to enter Georgian pharmacies in coming weeks
Garibashvili stressed the importance of “removing existing barriers” for import and said the requirement for obtaining a licence had been reduced from 45 working days to seven days for prospective importers. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The government’s initiative of ensuring importation of pharmacy drugs from Turkey to effect a general reduction of medicine prices in Georgia is set to commence in the coming weeks, with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also revealing additional means to strengthen competition on the market.
In comments on Monday, Garibashvili once again condemned the high prices of medicines in Georgia - calling it a “great burden on our population” - adding the government “had to react” to the problem and had “found a solution easily” through the decision to ensure the importation of medical products from producers in Turkey.
I know that pharmaceutical companies, importers are actively working to import quality, cheap medicines from Turkey and based on the information I got, in the next few weeks they will start delivering medicines to pharmacies,” Garibashvili said.
The government head also revealed a system of electronic prescriptions would be introduced starting in March with the aim of “strengthening the competition” over prescription drugs.
We want to open the market as much as possible, to have more competition, to have lower prices for medicines, and of course, this will save money for our citizens,” the PM added.
Garibashvili stressed the importance of “removing existing barriers” for import and said the requirement for obtaining a licence had been reduced from 45 working days to seven days for prospective importers.
The head of the government originally announced the initiative in December last year, and called on pharmaceutical companies to ensure the importation of products from Turkey “on time”.
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