The Rada Committee on health issues postponed consideration of scandalous amendments that will lead to a rise in the price of medicines
Kyiv • UNN
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on health issues postponed consideration of amendments to the draft law No. 11493 on quotas for the supply of medicines. The pharmaceutical community fears that the changes may be "delayed" without proper discussion.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, medical care and health insurance postponed consideration of scandalous amendments to the draft law No. 11493 on quotas for the supply of medicines and the abolition of discounts for pharmacies, which were opposed by participants of the pharmaceutical market, writes UNN with reference to the Broadcast of the meeting.
Details
Today, December 9, a meeting of the committee was held to consider amendments to the draft law No. 11493, which relate to quotas for the supply of medicines, a single electronic catalog and the abolition of discounts for pharmacies, which will lead to an increase in the trade mark-up and, accordingly, an increase in the price of medicines.
However, this issue was not included in the agenda and postponed. There is no exact date when this issue will be considered yet. Chairman of the committee Mikhail Radutsky said that the meeting is likely to be held on December 19.
As it became known UNN from their own sources, pharmaceutical market participants fear that the consideration of amendments to draft law No. 11493 was postponed intentionally in order to "extend" them when the indignation of the professional community subsides a little and there is no time for a comprehensive discussion. According to the agency's interlocutors, the review was postponed to December 19 and, possibly, the committee will be held in the morning, and then the amendments to the law will be sent directly to the Verkhovna Rada Hall and voted on the same day.
Earlier, a number of pharmaceutical associations openly opposed these amendments to the bill and asked to be invited to a meeting of the committee to express their position. In particular, the Association of Pharmacists of Ukraine, the Association of "drug manufacturers of Ukraine" and the NGO "All-Ukrainian pharmaceutical Chamber"opposed it.
In addition, the pharmaceutical community appealed to the head of finance, tax and customs policy Danylo Hetmantsev with a request to participate in the consideration of amendments at the meeting of the health committee. the professional community is concerned that the amendments will lead to the loss of UAH 3.9 billion in tax revenues annually and will have a negative impact on the availability of medicines in rural and remote areas, in particular the front-line areas.
Pharmacists also asked the head of the anti-corruption committee Anastasia Rodina to intervene in the discussion of amendments to the draft law No. 11493. according to industry representatives, the proposed changes, including quotas for the supply of medicines and the ban on marketing contracts, may lead to the closure of pharmacies in small settlements and an increase in the cost of medicines for consumers.
