The Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AMDM) suggested replacing the National Catalog of Producer Drug Prices with the National Catalog of Maximum Prices. The director general of the institution, Zinaida Bezverhni, told IPN that the prices indicated in the Producer Price Catalog, which does not reflect commercial additions, are informative neither to the government nor to the population.
The Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices suggested to clarify the procedure of comparison with external prices of reference countries at the time of price authorization in Moldova and the price authorization procedure for Moldovan producers. The maximum commercial additions applied at wholesale and retail prices must also be modified. The agency will forward suggestions to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, after consulting with the pharma industry and patients, said Zinaida Bezverhni.
The suggestions were presented following the analysis of the pharmaceutical market in Moldova, between August and November 2019. The Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices found that the number of medicines included in the National Catalog of Producer Drug Prices was significantly reduced and that stocks might be diminish. In 2013, more than 6200 drugs were registered, while their number decreased by 43% in 2019. The number of competitors present for each international trade name has also decreased down to 1-2 producers, which increases the risk of stock diminishment, if one of the producers withdraws from the market.
Additionally, the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices requested the expertise of the World Health Organization. The external analysis confirmed that, once the National Catalog of Producer Drug Prices was implemented, the number of manufacturers available on the market decreased and that the announced producer price reductions did not always translate into lower drug prices for patients.
According to the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, the lack of data correlation between the producer price, the maximum distribution price, the maximum retail price and the fixed amount compensated by CNAM, contributed to the lack of transparency regarding the final prices in pharmacies and limited the patient's ability to know for sure how much should the final consumer pay.
