‘National Pharmaceutical Policy’ Development

Tatiana Golikova: The Ministry of Health and Social Development is working on the ‘National Pharmaceutical Policy’ project to be implemented no sooner than 2010

11 June, 2008

Galina Baryshnikova

“Such a document, which contains the principles of pharmaceutical insurance, is available in any self-respecting nation, so we need not develop anything new here in Russia. However, our nation has got its own difficulties, and it is important to have such an insurance scheme, which will work,” said Tatiana Golikova, Minister of Health and Social Development, on June 11, to reporters at the meeting in expectation of the Medical Profession Day celebrations. According to the Minister, the development of the ‘National Pharmaceutical Policy’ paper is in progress concurrently with the legislative package of regulatory enactments that are related to the modernization of the General Medical Insurance (GMI) entire system. “By the end of this year, the document on the GMI modernization should be developed, and the scheme proper of the GMI functioning is planned to launch in 2010.” Tatiana Golikova informed.

“Today’s situation is paradoxical – people’s health, their therapy with pharmaceuticals depend on how many people leave or stay in the Additional Pharmaceutical Support programme (Note: Russian disabled pensioners may choose the APS to enjoy all necessary for them medicines for free; instead, they may get a fixed amount of roughly €20 added to their monthly benefits), on whether the allocated money covers all beneficiaries and whether the pharmaceuticals purchase auction takes place,” the Minister emphasized. “The system is somewhat strange, isn’t it?” said the Head of the Ministry.

In the first place, the pharmaceutical insurance will cover those enlisted in the register of people qualifying for entitlements in the APS programme. Later on, the other disadvantaged groups of people will be entitled to the pharmaceutical benefits. The insurance principle in question means there will be one counter in each drug-store instead of two now, where one stall serves the customers with benefit recipes, while the other sells wholesale medicines at business prices. “We’ll abandon this kind of system. A patient, who has a GMI certificate (no other policy required), will come to a drug-store and get a medicine for free or at full cost that is to be reimbursed by the state,” Tatiana Golikova made it clear. The Minister believes that the switching onto the new GMI system must not get people panicking as it happens when innovations are introduced. “I don’t think this will be any painful for our society: Much depends on how the system is set up. The main challenge is to avoid disturbances and revolutions,’ The Minister noted.

 (www.pharmvestnik.ru)