Health Minister: import of medical drugs from Turkey has “significantly” decreased prices

Import of medications from the Turkish market has “significantly” decreased the prices of “dozens” of medical products in Georgia, Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili said on Saturday.

In comments on the recent initiative to import the products from Turkey, Azarashvili noted the opponents of the move had questioned the quality of the pharmaceuticals manufactured in Turkey, pointing out the imported products were of “very high quality”.

The initiative for importing medical drugs from the Turkish market came last year from Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who cited the considerable gap between the cost of the drugs produced using the Good Manufacturing Practices standard on the Turkish market in comparison with their cost in Georgia.

In March, Garibashvili estimated the medication prices in the country had been reduced by 60-80 percent as a result of the first batches of pharmaceuticals imported.

In his comments on Saturday, the Health Minister also highlighted the Georgian Government’s efforts to assist Ukrainian people in the wake of Russian aggression. The Government has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, while the Ukrainian citizens in Georgia have been offered emergency medical services free of charge, Azarashvili added.