Committee of Legislative Chamber discussed draft law “On medicines and pharmaceutical activity”

This draft law is important in further improvement of the system of regulating relations in the field of medicines circulation and pharmaceutical activities, their effective application in medical practice, as well as providing the population with qualitative medicines, the press service of the Legislative Chamber said.

As it was previously reported the draft law was discussed by the Bloc of democratic forces, involving a wide range of specialists, the public allowing development of a number of policy proposals and recommendations on its individual norms. These proposals were presented to the Committee on Labor and Social Issues of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for consideration in the preparation of the draft law for the second reading.

In this connection, an enlarged meeting of the responsible Committee, with participation of members of all factions, including opposition parties and the deputy group of the Ecological Movement was held, where the proposals of the Bloc of democratic forces had been considered.

Discussion of actual aspects of developing the pharmaceutical activity in the country, performing positions on individual norms of the draft law on the basis of the interests of the electorate and provisions of pre-electoral platforms of the party gave the meeting a format of heated debate.

— Members of the Bloc of democratic forces have made a number of significant proposals, which are relevant, — said member of the opposition faction of the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat” U.Sulaymanov. — In particular, powers of the government on developing and ensuring the implementation of the state programs in the field of medicines circulation and pharmaceutical activities, on ensuring the availability of medicines for ensuring immediate needs of the population were specified. At the same time we believe that the current version of the law needs to be provided with norms regulating the pricing of medicines and medical products. Due to the absence in the law of such a norm, drugstores have no a single approach to pricing and it is leading in some cases to the high prices of medicines.

— In general, agreeing with the proposals of members of the Bloc of democratic forces aimed at improving the draft law, as members of the opposition faction submitted proposals on its individual norms, — says member of the faction of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan S.Rakhmatov. — In particular, we believe that it is necessary to retain the norm that clarifies the preferential release of medicines to certain categories of persons, as well as definition of the list of patients eligible to receive medicines within guaranteed by the state of volume of medical care in inpatient and outpatient treatment, that in turn serve as an effective social protection of the population in the draft law.

Participants also noted the importance of provided norms in the draft law, prohibiting the implementation of counterfeit, unregistered, substandard medicines and medical products, as well as illegal copies of medicines registered in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The theme of an actual discussion of participants of the meeting became also the norm of the draft law on advertising of medicines.

So, along with suggestions the Bloc of democratic forces approving promotion of medicines, members of the opposition faction of PDPU of the Republic of Uzbekistan made suggestions about the need to limit the advertising of medicines, as taken medicines without consulting a doctor can cause serious damage to human health in some cases.

A comprehensive discussion of the draft law in a lively debate format will serve to its further improvement, the development of effective mechanisms aimed at improving the public health.

Following the meeting, recommendations and suggestions aimed at improving the draft law were made. Relevant decision of the committee was adopted.