New Gov't Program: "Partnership for Affordable Health"

On May 21, the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of Georgia opened a new program, titled “Partnership for Affordable Health.”  The goal of the initiative is to provide elderly and disabled patients with access to medicines to treat certain chronic diseases.

“The state will announce a tender in which all companies will have the right to participate. Medications will be selected based on necessity; however, the focus will be made on the treatment of essential medicines for the most common chronic diseases,” says Irakli Margvelashvili, the Board Head of “Partnership for Affordable Health.”

Margvelashvili noted that prices may be lowered up to 50% for participants in the program.

“We have also started researching prices, this has been a widely discussed issue as has polypharmacy (excessive medicine prescription by doctors). It is necessary to deeply analyze these issues,” he stated.

Compared to the United States and the European Union, it is much easier to access medicines in Georgia without a prescription from a doctor.

The project was founded by the Ministry of Health, the Association of Pharmaceutical Companies, and local producer GMP. The “Partnership for Affordable Health” will not be financed from the state budget, but by contributions from the Association and GMP.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Ombudsman.ge

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