President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has highlighted a significant issue in the pharmaceutical industry, where patients are forced to purchase medicines from pharmacies at prices tenfold than what should be provided free, pointing out this alarming trend not just in oncology but also in endocrinology, cardiology, and emergency services.
During a meeting chaired by President Mirziyoyev addressing priority tasks for 2024 in education, healthcare, digitization, culture, and sports sectors, shortcomings in the timely and complete delivery of necessary medications were noted. Three years prior, a system was established to supply oncological patients with 29 types of drugs for chemotherapy and targeted therapy, backed by sufficient budget allocation. However, failures in distribution have been observed.
As a direct consequence, some patients are compelled to purchase the same drugs at pharmacies for a much higher cost.
"These are the games in pharmaceuticals! And it’s not only in oncology. There are enough such cases in endocrinology, cardiology, and emergency services," the president criticized.
The Prosecutor General's Office has been tasked to regulate the activities of all participants in this drug delivery chain, including manufacturers of oncological medications, importers, pharmacies, and sellers, and ensure accountability for any discrepancies related to the 17 drug types that have not reached their destinations.
The Ministry of Health has been instructed to audit medicines that have been stuck in warehouses for months awaiting approval, establish order in this matter, and create a transparent routing system based on a “requestor - purchaser - supplier - patient” chain for the delivery of state-purchased drugs. This system is intended to prevent such inconsistencies and bring the pharmaceutical practices in line with the regulations, ensuring that patients receive their prescribed medications promptly and at no additional cost.
