Parliament Endorses Draft Law on Reference Pricing of Medicines
The modifications to Law of Georgia on Medicines and Pharmaceutical Activities envisaging setting reference prices of medicines have been introduced.
Draft law was endorsed by the Parliament of Georgia with 75 votes against 1, at the 2nd reading.
Starting from 2023, State will set the maximum ceiling for the prices and selling of the medicines at the price exceeding reference point will be prohibited.
At the first stage, reference prices will be set for 1,000 – 1,2000 types of medicines for treatment of chronic and oncologic diseases. At the next stage reference prices will be set for medicines of other groups.
“Our aim is ensuring maximum accessibility to medicines of high quality. We are implementing series of reforms with this purpose. One of the component of the reforms envisages setting reference prices, which will further increase accessibility to medicines”, - stated First Deputy Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, Tamar Gabunia.
Setting reference prices was announced by the Minister of Health of Georgia, Zurab Azarashvili early this year.
Working process is ongoing with support of the WHO and the World Bank.
It should be noted that the Ministry has selected 4 reference countries of European Region. The working group acknowledges and actively studies experience of these countries.
