Reference Prices Working Group Meets with National Council on Prices and Reimbursement of Medical Products in Bulgaria

Reference Prices Working Group paid working visit to Bulgaria.

The representatives of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia met with management of National Council on Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products in Sofia.

The Council defines reference pricing policy and coordinates price calculation and monitoring process.

Bulgarian experience in price setting was discussed during the meeting.

The participants reflected on mechanism of price calculation, regulation and monitoring, potential challenges that may arise and the ways of their overcoming.

It should be noted that Georgia selected 4 comparable countries for setting reference prices and one of them is Bulgaria. Reference pricing was set in Bulgaria in 2007 and the process is ongoing successfully since then.

Setting of reference prices is one of the component of the reform aimed at provision of population with high quality and maximally affordable medicines.

Reference prices will be set in the country starting from early 2023.

At the first stage, upper limit will be set for drugs for treatment of chronic and oncological diseases. At the next stage, reference prices will be set for other medicines.

Local and international field experts are involved in working process aimed at tailoring a new design to specifics and context of Georgian pharmaceutical market. Together with local and international experts, the process is supported by the WHO and the Word Bank.

Acting Head of Strategic Development and Analytical Department of the Ministry of Health of Georgia, Nikoloz Kobakhidze, Chief Specialist, Merab Asanidze, Deputy Head of Policy Department, Irine Javakhadze, PIU Health Specialist, Lela Sulaberidze, Deputy Director of Information Technology Agency, Nato Badagadze, Chief Specialist of Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities, Drug Registration and Permits Unit, Marika Basiladze, Chief Specialist of Monitoring Department, Drugs Inspection Unit, Soso Imedashvili were present in Bulgaria.