Russia's public procurement of drugs continues to be dominated by imports

Amid the ongoing recovery of the Russian economy from the financial crisis and its consequences, public procurement of drugs Russia is steadily growing, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

In the first quarter of the current year, Russian hospitals and medical institutions spent 45.9 billion roubles ($795 million) for the purchase of 209.9 million packs of drugs and there is a possibility that the volume of purchases will continue to grow this year.

The average cost of one package of imported drug during public procurements in Russia is currently estimated at 537 roubles, which is 18.3% less than last year. The reduction of average prices, according to local analysts, could be mainly explained by the tightening of competition in the market.