OREANDA-NEWS. June 13, 2013. Regionalization of drug supply to patients under the “Seven Nosologies” programme is required under the Federal Law “On the Basic Principles of Health Care in the Russian Federation”. From 2014 the powers for purchasing expensive drugs for the needs of the patients with rare diseases must be transferred from the Ministry of Health Care to the authorities of the constituent territories of the Russian Federation.

It worries patients’ communities who are concerned that decentralization of procurement will push up prices and, as a consequence, delay supply of drugs to those who need them.

Representatives of the National Patients Union, the Patients Protection Leagues, the Ministry of Health Care of the Russian Federation and the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) discussed the issue on 31st May at a joint press-conference.

The Head of FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Trade, Timophei Nizhegorodtsev, supported the patients’ position. In his opinion, prices for medicines will increase considerably. “Patients’ concerns are not unfounded.

Transferring the powers for purchasing drugs under the “Seven Nosologies” Programme to the regional level can create problems with supplying these drugs to the remote areas in Russia. Also, producers will not take part in small auctions at the regional level because they are unprofitable for the producers and too resource-consuming.

Therefore, we will lose big discounts that suppliers now offer for the big orders. As a result, in the regions the bidders at such actions will be intermediaries who supply drugs with the maximum mark-ups. FAS calls upon all interested parties to get together once again and prudently discuss all nuances of transferring such powers to the regions or postponing the norm coming into effect”, commented the Head of FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Trade, Timophei Nizhegorodtsev.