Georgia’s Health and Interior Ministries Join Efforts to Fight Pharmacy Drug Addiction

Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Giorgi Mghebrishvili, and Minister of Labor, Health and Social affairs, Davit Sergeenko, signed an agreement on Wednesday imposing quotas on the import of a number of psychotropic medicines.

The aim of imposing quotas is to strictly define and monitor the number of psychotropic medicines imported into the country. This will restrict misuse and prevent addiction to pharmaceutical drugs.

So far, quotas have been imposed on the following psychotropic medications: Gabapentin, Zopiklon, Baklophen, Zaleplon, Tropicamide and Dextromethorphan.

Last year, a special joint commission of the Interior and Health ministries was established, tasked to set the necessary limit of import of such medicines. Sergeenko and Mghebrishvili are co-chairs of that commission. The joint consultative body is authorized to increase quotas if a lack of the mentioned medications is encountered.

Mghebrishvili noted that as a result of the joint activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health, a number of legislative changes and reforms have been implemented recently against pharmaceutical drug addiction, which has substantially decreased intravenous consumption of drugs. 

“Pharmaceutical drug addiction is a problem not only in Georgia but also in other countries,” Mghebrishvili stated.

The Health Minister believes that inappropriate consumption of pills remains one of the main challenges for Georgia.

“I think imposing quotas is one step forward to fighting pharmaceutical drug addiction and I would like to thank the Interior Minister and MIA for their cooperation,” Sergeenko said.

  Thea Morrison