The Kazakh Health Ministry is reviewing ceiling prices of medicines. Their cost is planned to be approved in the near future. A draft has been formed with 7,705 drugs for wholesale and retail. Previously, the list included 7,256 medicines. Of the total number, 88 percent of drug prices remained unchanged, 10 percent are expected to rise, and 2 percent are planned to be lowered.
“Calculations are being made currently. There are certain mechanisms that should be taken into account when approving ceiling prices. After agreement with the competition authority and the country’s Ministry of Health, ceiling prices will be approved for the second half of the year. Ceiling prices help to hold the best price of medicines and prevent unreasonable price hikes of certain drugs,” said Farkhat Orazaly, a spokesperson of the Kazakh Health Ministry.
Mandatory labeling of medicines has been introduced in Kazakhstan since July 1. It helps to trace medicines from a manufacturer to a consumer. As the relevant department believes, the introduction will help to fight the illegal circulation of medicines, and should not affect the cost as a whole. Business owners will face a fine from 400,000 to three million tenge for delayed labeling.
