Health Minister says "year-long medication needs" to be financed for oncology patients

Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili on Monday said the Ministry would finance "year-long medication needs" for oncology patients and was in talks with drug manufacturers.

The Minister told local press talks on “direct purchase” with the makers were ongoing and aiming to use “additional discount” and preferential pricing to finance the support.

He also said the mechanisms were chosen by the state body after the Government had been advised by its consultants and experts commissioned by the World Bank against imposing reference pricing on expensive medications for oncology patients.

Last month the Ministry released a statement that said some domestic pharmaceutical companies had “artificially increased prices” on expensive oncological medicines.

The National Competition Agency has started inspecting four companies in the domestic market following the “sharp increase” in prices of medicines for chronic and oncological illnesses.

The group of medications is financed by the state’s Universal Healthcare Programme.