Drug prices fell by at most 14% following the amendment of the methodology for applying the profit margin on pharmaceutical products. The prices of expensive drugs decreased the most. The list of compensated drugs will be extended and an additional 50 million lei will be allocated for the purpose, Minister of Health Ruxanda Glavan said in an interview for Radio Free Europe, quoted by IPN.

“The prices of medicines in drugstores are already lower. The good news for the people is that the differentiated profit margin on categories of drugs is put depending on their prices. So, the highest price reduction will be applied to the most expensive drugs. This is one of the multiple measures that we intend to take to improve the patients’ access to drugs” stated the minister.

According to Ruxanda Glavan, the introduction of particular drugs in the list of compensates drugs is the second important pace aimed at ensuring access to drugs of a high quality and at reasonable prices. “In 2016, we aim to double the budget for compensated drugs. In money terms, this is an extra 140-150 million lei,” she said.

The minister also said that many drugs were absent from the Moldovan market during the last few years and the authorities undertook to improve the authorization and placement on the market. “We are on the last 100 meters. We have a relevant plan of action that will soon enable us to eliminate all the bureaucratic procedures so that the producers and distributors of drugs have swift and freer access to the Moldovan market,” stated Ruxanda Glavan.

She added that the list of compensated drugs could also include medical equipment like the tests for glycaemia. In Moldova there are about 80,000 diabetics who permanently need access to particular products in order to monitor the level of sugar in the blood and to correct the insulin doses.