Prices for medicines in pharmacies will be reduced by 30%
Kazakhstan is preparing to reduce prices for medicines as part of a large-scale reform of the drug supply system. This was reported at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, where the results of the state audit conducted by the Supreme Audit Chamber were discussed.
The audit found serious violations at all stages – from registration and production to dispensing of drugs. The problems included weak quality control, ineffective pricing and untimely updating of treatment protocols.
Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova reported that the reforms plan to review pricing policy. Prices for medicines included in free state programs will be reduced to 19%, and in the retail pharmacy network - to 30%.
The launch of new drugs on the market will also be simplified, an electronic procurement format will be introduced, and a mechanism for personalized patient records will be created. Among the priorities is the development of hospital pharmacy and the introduction of digital labeling of drugs. More than 366 million packages have already been labeled, which allows tracking the movement of products and eliminating counterfeits.
In addition, it is planned to reduce the registration period for new drugs to 100 days without compromising the quality of examination and safety requirements.