OREANDA-NEWS. June 14, 2013. Working together with experts in the field, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) has determined the substitutability criteria for the cochlear implantation systems (sets).The criteria are agreed upon with the Chief Outside Otolaryngologist of the Ministry of Health Care of the Russian Federation.

To prevent restriction and elimination of competition on the market of medical products – the systems (sets) of cochlear implantation, the government customers must be guided by the approved substitutability criteria when devising the technical parts of the tender documents for supplying systems (sets) of cochlear implantation.

“These criteria are important because very often the same companies took part and win tenders for supplying cochlear implantation systems (sets). Most often, the documents are formed for particular suppliers, as a result of which there is no competition at tenders and the original contract price does not go down. On the one hand, the substitutability criteria for the systems (sets) of cochlear implantation, devised by FAS, determine significant technical characteristics affecting successful patient rehabilitation. On the other hand, the criteria enable all economic entities, whose products meet the criteria, to take part in trading. The substitutability criteria will help prevent violations of the antimonopoly law and the law on tenders”, said Deputy Head of the FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Trade, Nadezhda Sharavskaya.