GMP losing momentum
Experts discussed main reasons of GMP incompliance
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 1, cont’d p. 2]
Silence of the lambs
It is only experts who speak about shortage of money in Russian healthcare
In late April, the Russian Auditing Chamber published a report on budget implementation at all levels as of Q115. The auditing agency stated that the fiscal gap of the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund has exceeded the planned parameters nearly twofold. The auditors believe that if insurance premiums continue being collected at the same rate as now the money may not last through the end of the year. However, representatives of the Ministry of Health and a variety of the ministry’s offices do not think it to be a problem. When speaking officially, they keep reporting on successes of the Russian healthcare.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 3]
The same but with a green button
Manufacturers of medical devices state that specifications for products required by clinics are developed for specific vendors
There is a change of priorities in the medical devices sphere. Whereas previously, the main problem for manufacturers was registering their products, and not everyone could survive this process, presently it is problems related to sales of medical devices that have come to the fore. There problems were voiced at the Congress of Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry Workers held in Moscow on June 2.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, pp. 4-5]
Apprising look
Implementation of health technologies assessment in Russia to start from July 1
The notion of an integrated drug assessment will be legally enforced for the first time on July 1 after amendments to the law “On Drug Circulation” come in force. Making use of international approaches to health technologies assessment will help the Ministry of Health enhance the budgetary spending efficiency and improve drug coverage of the Russian citizens, experts believe.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 6]
The opium of the masses
Ministry of Health to broaden the range of analgesics
On June 1, the State Duma held a meeting on medical aid to stage 4 cancer patients. In late May, it became known about another cancer patient making a suicide. According to Moscow authorities’ information, in this case the reason was unavailability of psychological help. However, every time when it goes about terminal stage patients, an issue of covering them with pain killing drugs emerges. The Health Ministry’s representatives assured the deputies that the situation is set to improve soon.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 7]
Fishing in troubled waters
Companies would often change their teams upon the pretext of anticrisis restructuring
News that a certain company has changed its top managers is traditional for the market. The idea of the new chief officer bringing along his/her old team is far from being original. However, a few pieces of news have come recently regarding a violent change of the teams that may in no way be associated with restructuring that the top management refers to trying to substantiate such changes. Most of the sacked personnel are almost sure that the days of their ex-companies are numbered.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 8]
What we had in mind specifically
Ministry of Industry and Trade provided specific answers to rhetorical questions of Association of Russian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Three main questions that have been for many years exciting the minds of representatives of pharmaceutical and medical industry have become rhetorical, namely 1) setting up a GMP Inspectorate in Russia; 2) drug pricing; and 3) local product status. It is these problem issues that are being brought up at every industry meeting. At the Congress of Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry Workers (June 2, Moscow), Director of the Association of Russian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Victor Dmitriev couldn’t help enlarging on these issues once again. However this time, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Sergey Tsyb was quite specific answering presumably rhetorical questions.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 11]
Adaptation Russian style
The two weeks have expired in which pharma market players could have made amendments and comments to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Code of Conduct. The draft document was presented at the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia during the Pharmaceutical Expert Council meeting on May 25. As the developers see it, this code is aimed at uprooting from the market practices of ungrounded refusals to make supplies, exclusive agreements between the dominating manufacturers and distributors, overprices and artificially high prices due to monopoly as well as agreements between pharmaceutical companies and the authorities etc. The code is based on the European model that has already made a good showing and that takes into account the respective GxPs at all drug circulation stages, which was specifically stressed by the developers. Manufacturers had both proposals and questions on this draft document.
Does the Russian Pharma need a manufacturer code of conduct? This was the question that PharmVestnik correspondent Elena Mekshun asked some of the market players.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 12]
Third-degree close contacts
If you are willing to make business with Egypt and the Arab world at large be ready for really “close” relationships
PharmVestnik Editor-in-Chief Herman Inozemtsev took part in the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade business mission in Egypt and received first-hand experience of “close” relationships with the Arab pharmaceutical world.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 13]
Main things in a nutshell
Infographics helps present the main results of the Russian Pharma market operations for Q115 split by segments. The figures are given in wholesale prices and do not take into account either regional preferential terms and conditions or sales of dietary supplements.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 14]
Self-made irradiation device
Pharmacies were ordered to toughen inspection of incoming medical devices
In the Rostov region, a criminal case was brought to the court against the CEO of a firm that has been manufacturing medical devices without a license. He has been accused of illegal business operations on an especially large scale, which is fraught either with a penalty ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 RUB or putting in jail for the period of up to 5 years. Regulators warn that in case unregistered medical devices are detected in the retailers’ stocks, pharmacies will be the first to get punishment, and only after that the vendors and the manufacturers will be punished. However, practice demonstrates that the latter may manage to be escaping punishment for years.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 16]
Drifting to the Net
Web-based drug sales have been gaining ground; however, their market share remains low so far
In late May, at the interregional conference “Current Issues of Regulating Medical Drug Circulation” (Novosibirsk), Karten reported on the first results of running the web-based project apteka.ru. Presently, up to 60,000 pharmacies cooperate with this project all over Russia, their sales commission fee being 8%, on average. However, monetary interests are not always the main reason of such partnership, market participants told PharmVestnik.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 17]
Remembering the customer
Cumulative rating of pharmacy chains as of Q115
The development in a context of uncertainty or at least of economic insecurity — these were the new items that came to the agenda of pharmacy chains, together with that of other commercial organizations, in early 2015. However, the negative background has only made large chain businesses more focused on continuing expansion, thus having confirmed that a crisis is the right time to invest.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, pp. 18-20]
In harmony with boss
Relationships between bosses and the staff can be persistently positive provided a number of conditions are fulfilled
How often do you hear and indulge in criticism of your bosses, especially when the boss is new? Is criticism always justified, and are complaints always grounded? Does your kitchen-bound criticism help make the work and corporate life better? How can one understand one’s boss, build relationships with him/her, and learn how to manage him/her? A business consultant discusses potential answers to the above questions.
[PharmVestnik # 19, 09/06/2015, p. 22]
