Current issue #11, 2018

FAS pledges of no double game

It looked like the battles around drug sales at food stores have stopped. But, reportedly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is updating the bill ‘with all findings considered’. The industry players are downright concerned with the news. Recently, certain pharma people got hold of the second variant of the explanatory note to the bill reading quite differently from the published version. In particular, it is proposed to permit selling OTC drugs with post factum notification, which pharma considers a discrimination in respect of pharmacies. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) calls on the pharma community to calm down stating that this bill does not have any ‘double bottom’.

[PharmVestnik # 11, 03/04/2018, p. 1, cont’d p. 4]

// Pharma Retailing

Analysts forecast pharmacy reduction in 2018

The start of the year demonstrated that analysts were right when forecasting further consolidation of the pharmacy market. The market has witnessed the strategic deals of Samson-Pharma acquisition by Erkapharm and Pharmart acquisition by Pharmland (Ufa, Bashkortostan). On the back of large deals, experts increasingly often speak about financial problems of pharmacies. Certain analysts are sure that the market implosion, namely a reduction in the number of pharmacies, will take place earlier than initially forecasted: the process will start already this year.

[PharmVestnik # 11, 03/04/2018, p. 2]

// Regulatory & Legal – Drug Procurement

FAS suspicions in respect of MoH transpired just before formation of a new Russian government

A few days after the presidential election, it has transpired that the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) suspected the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the violation of the Competition law. Allegedly, the MoH might have created advantages for R-Pharm Group in drug procurement. The MoH officials deny the...