Russia sets new rules for distributors and pharmacies

The Russian Parliament has announced plans to limit the maximum share of pharmaceutical distributors and pharmacies in the domestic market and to oblige the latter to allocate up to 50% of their sale ranges for domestic drugs, according to recent statements by an official spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Health and members of the Russian Parliament (State Duma), reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

According to Sergei Neverov, a member of the Russian Duma and one of the main initiators of the latest state proposals, currently the share of domestic drugmakers in the Russian pharmaceutical market continues to be at low level. In addition, in recent months, the market has faced with a problem of a shortage of some vital drugs, as many global producers suspended their further supplies to Russia, due to low profits.

In the case of pharmacy chains, according to the Ministry of Health, in recent years the number of complaints about their activities from producers has significantly increased.