Small purchase power of population leaves big drug companies uninterested in registering their medicines in Moldova

The small purchase power of the Moldovans turns away the interest of big drug producers to register their products in Moldova, although the Medication Agency keeps negotiating with them, its chief Mihail Lupu told a news conference, Info-Prim Neo reports. A commission of the Health Ministry allows the import of unregistered medications only in small amounts. That happens in case of patients' demands and it is proven those drugs are necessary to treat their diseases. The Medication Agency chief adds its specialized laboratory operates up to 35,000 analyses yearly. The products not matching the requirements are destroyed not to reach the retail networks. The drug stores are obliged to have documents confirming the quality of medicines. “When speaking about ensuring Moldova with qualitative, inoffensive and accessible medicines, we mean the checkups operated to authorize them,” Mihail Lupu said. Another service -- Serviciul Famacovigilenta which may be translated as the Pharmacies Watchdog – gathered users' opinions and complaints as to the quality of the medicines and it may intervene in case it considers it necessary. 600,408 medicines are registered now in Moldova as some 1,000 new titles are added annually in a state registry.