Russian government to refrain from state regulation of prices for cheap drugs

Prices for cheap drugs from the list of vital medicines may significantly increase in Russia this year due to a recent decision by the Russian government to refrain from further state regulation of prices for drugs from this segment.

That means that the government will allow pharmaceutical companies to set their own prices for such vital and cheap drugs as aspirin, ibuprofen, glycine, water for injection, etc, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

The decision has already been confirmed by Russia’s first deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, according to whom it will affect drugs priced up to 50 roubles ($0.79). Mr Dvorkovich also said that, in order to prevent the increase of prices for these drugs, the government plans to provide subsidies for their producers.