Current issue #21, 2015

Recovering like… flies

At a regular summit in St. Petersburg, officials reported about successes of Russian healthcare

When speaking at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, top persons of the Russian healthcare reported only about successes in their work, without assuming any responsibility for the growing mortality rate observed earlier this year. The forum agenda did not include the issues of healthcare efficiency or providing access to medical services. The issues of optimizing the medical institutions network were barely touched upon. The experts asked by PharmVestnik are of the opinion that the real situation in healthcare differs substantially from the optimistic picture painted by the officials.

[PharmVestnik # 21, 30/06/2015, p. 1, cont’d p. 6]

Cracking Pandora's box open

Import of drugs not registered in Russia may be legalized for specific patients

The discussion of the causes of pop-singer Zhanna Friske’s death in mid-June couldn’t do without mentioning an unregistered drug that was used for her treatment. The regulatory authorities give patients a permit for importing unregistered drugs for their own use. Without such permit, importing drugs for one’s own use is considered a violation of the legislation like distribution of counterfeit products. A draft law was submitted to the State Duma that was aimed at dotting the i's and crossing the t's in this respect. However, experts were extremely cautious about this initiative.

[PharmVestnik # 21, 30/06/2015, p. 1, cont’d p. 2]

Those who don’t care

Despite the opposition from professional societies, parallel drug imports increasingly become a reality

A fast development of the project of implementing parallel imports horrified directors of medical centers. Physicians fear that counterfeit drugs may be supplied to their institutions. However, despite the growing number of experts opposing the parallel import initiative, the legislative activity in this regard has been gaining ground. PharmVestnik editorial office has a few documents in its possession clearly illustrating the unavoidable appearance of “gray” drugs in Russia.

[PharmVestnik # 21, 30/06/2015, p. 3]

Vigilance being outsourced

Experts discuss future pharmacovigilance procedures

The amendments to the Law on Drug Circulation coming in force on the 1^st of July will change, among other things, the drug safety control requirements. In this connection, Roszdravnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Developmen...