Up to 200 Turkish-imported medicine types to be made available in Georgia
Garibashvili initially announced the initiative of his team to ensure a reduction of general prices of pharmaceuticals on the Georgian market through imports from Turkey at the end of last year, citing the considerable gap between the cost of the GMP-manufactured drugs on the Turkish market and in Georgia. Photo: jandacva.ge
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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.
In an interview with online media outlet Kvira.ge, the Deputy Minister noted a total of 35 types of medicines were already available on the market, with about 50 being submitted to the Ministry for registration.
He further said the prices of medicines on the local market had, in some cases, been reduced by 50 percent, and in “most successful cases” by up to 80 percent, following the start of import of the products from Turkey with the goal last month.
Gudushauri added medications for chronic diseases and the most in-demand products were the priority of the Government in terms of price reduction. He also said all medicines entering the market were undergoing the verification process of the country’s Regulatory Agency and called it “impossible” for substandard medicines to enter the market from Turkey.
The official said the Health Ministry was also working with “successful European countries” for import of medical products. “The fact is that the Prime Minister's initiative to open the Turkish market has been successful, due to the fact that the prices of medicines have dropped,” Gudushauri said.
The Deputy Health Minister also announced his upcoming official visit to Turkey this week, during which he will meet local manufacturers and distributor companies to “simplify and speed up the procedures” for importing medical drugs to Georgia.
Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili announced on Sunday doctors in Georgia would be able to only prescribe generic medications to their patients - without specifying a brand of the drug - starting next month in order to create a “well-regulated and transparent pharmaceutical market” in the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced last week general prices for medicines on the Georgian local market had been reduced by 60-80 percent following the import of medications from Turkey, adding products such as cardiovascular medications had decreased from 220 GEL (about $68/€61) to 48 GEL (about $14/€13).
Garibashvili initially announced the initiative of his team to ensure a reduction of general prices of pharmaceuticals on the Georgian market through imports from Turkey at the end of last year, citing the considerable gap between the cost of the GMP-manufactured drugs on the Turkish market and in Georgia.