Justice Ministry acts to cancel unlawful GPP fee for pharmacies

Following an investigation published by Kun.uz, the Ministry of Justice declared the order introducing a mandatory payment for the GPP certificate illegal and submitted a proposal to the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency to cancel and withdraw the document from enforcement. Although the order affects the rights and interests of entrepreneurs, it was not registered with the Ministry of Justice.

The document introducing mandatory payments for pharmacies to obtain the GPP (Good Pharmacy Practice) certificate in Uzbekistan may soon be annulled. After Kun.uz released its investigation, the Ministry of Justice sent an official submission to the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency on this matter.

The issue concerns Order No. 35 of the Director of the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency, dated 8 May 2024.

According to the document provided to Kun.uz, the ministry found that the order contains provisions affecting the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of citizens (including business entities), yet it was never registered with the Ministry of Justice.

Under the Law “On Normative Legal Acts,” all draft normative legal documents must undergo legal examination by the Ministry of Justice and be included in the state register of departmental normative legal acts. The above-mentioned Order No. 35, being of a generally binding nature, also falls under this requirement.

Therefore, on 13 October, First Deputy Minister of Justice Mahmud Istamov signed a submission calling on the Pharmaceutical Agency to cancel the order and withdraw it from execution.

However, the document does not clarify the situation of entrepreneurs who have already obtained the GPP certificate. It remains unclear whether they will be refunded for the fees they paid or not. In addition, if the order is annulled, the future regulatory framework for pharmacies is yet to be determined. A group of pharmacy owners told Kun.uz they are concerned about the uncertainty surrounding this issue.

For reference, the high cost of the mandatory GPP certification fee has sparked discontent among pharmacy owners. Details of the situation were earlier covered in Kun.uz’s investigation.