Overpricing of several items, corruption of healthcare professionals and pharmacists, sales of expired drugs – that is the practices used by international pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to Igor Artemiev, Head of FAS. He reported, that BRICS countries, with Russia having recently joined them, will no longer accept this situation. Before now international giants ignored remarks of the Russian authorities on that issue. Now that our country has become a member of BRICS a lot will change. BRICS representatives will meet heads of international companies and will rase a question on unacceptability of overpricing for some items, corrupt practices of interaction with healthcare professionals and marketing of expired medicines.
At the same time Artemiev stressed, that FAS is not going to accept that drugs marketed by a single manufacturer be removed from the market. The Agency will offer a system of compulsory patenting which gives the government a right to issue one or another chemical formula to one of its national-based companies, on the condition of payment of a fair compensation. According to Artemiev this practice was used in the USA more than once, dealing shortly with international companies.
