Uzbekistan to Revise Reference Prices for 2,600 Medicines

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan plans to revise the reference prices for medicines by the end of 2025, which will allow the average cost of more than 2,600 drug items to decrease by 40–60%, Abdullo Azizov, Director of the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry, told the “Uzbekistan 24” TV channel.

The country’s reference pricing system has been in place since 2020. It involves comparing the manufacturer’s price of a specific medicine in its country of origin with prices in a number of other countries. Based on this analysis, the regulatory authority sets a maximum allowable price that cannot be exceeded in retail sales. In 2025, Türkiye and Egypt—countries known for relatively low medicine prices—were added to the list of reference countries.

Azizov noted that the analysis of current prices showed that about 65% of imported medicines have no equivalents in neighboring countries, and in some cases, prices have been artificially inflated. “The Head of State has instructed that the existing reference pricing regulations be promptly revised and improved to bring prices to an affordable and uniform level,” he said.

Sunatilla Obloyerov, Head of the Pharmaceutical Agency’s Department, clarified that medicine prices are currently determined based on the analysis of ten reference countries. Of the 7,600 types of medicines sold in Uzbekistan, approximately 5,000 have no equivalents in these countries, which complicates price setting and creates conditions for importers to artificially raise prices.

“Following the analysis, opportunities to reduce prices for more than 2,600 items were identified, and the relevant companies were advised to review their pricing,” Obloyerov added. He also emphasized that state control currently applies only to prescription drugs, while the prices of over-the-counter medicines are not yet regulated.

To eliminate corruption risks and increase transparency, the pricing system will be modernized with the use of artificial intelligence and presented in an open format accessible to the public. The reduction in average prices for the specified medicines is expected to take effect from 1 January 2026.