Georgia Did it – Sergeenko Presents Three Years of Healthcare Reforms

The Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia has presented three years of reforms in health care to the public.

Minister Sergeenko accentuated the Hepatitis C elimination program as the main achievement of the country’s healthcare sector. “It is important that in the frames of this program 3100 patients are undergoing treatment,” the Minister noted. He also presented the results of the Healthcare Universal program.

Other future prospects such as Primary healthcare, implementation of a Universal Healthcare cost sustainable system, quality control and electronic prescription systems were discussed and presented during the event.

“A high proportion of drugs in the overall healthcare system reveals the main problem and we have to decrease it with transparent ways not with mechanic restrictions,” said Minister Sergeenko.

According to the Minister, one of the main priorities of the Ministry is reinforcement of drug quality control.

The Ministry of Health is planning to establish new standards in terms of quality control of drugs. How quality control and new regulations will affect increased price, Minister Sergeenko explains:

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most strictly regulated spheres in the world. Unfortunately, here this sector is deregulated. A lack of quality control creates a problem as we do not know what quality of drugs people use. Absence of quality of control systems prevent us from purchasing the Generics because we do not have objective evidence of quality.”

The Minister notes that the introduction of Generics will considerably decrease the prices of drug. “Society is sensitive to increasing prices of products, including drugs, the prices of which are a burden to a society unable to continue their treatments. That’s why we need to decrease pharmacy expenditures, and in this case Generic drugs are the most optimal way out.”

Minister Sergeenko considers that expanding the Generic segment is inevitable in order to increase drug availability and to encourage local production. “However, for implementation, we need to execute a system of quality control of drugs. The Ministry has started working intensively on such reforms and the results will be known soon.”