Current issue #24, 2015

Procurement Moscow-style

PharmVestnik discovered a strange drug bidding announced by Moscow City Health Department

Moscow has failed to procure tuberculin for this year, although the city made certain attempts. Two biddings announced, respectively, in late 2014 and mid-2015, have been declared void because no players opted into these biddings. The conditions of biddings were designed in such a way that there was only one drug manufacturer meeting them, namely PAO Pharmstandard-Biolek. However, this is only an assumption because, notwithstanding the conditions of biddings allegedly formed to suit specifically Pharmstandard, this company has not bidden either.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 1, cont’d p. 5]

Fighting insubstantiality so far

Licenses may be revoked from pharmacies selling Rx drugs over-the-counter

A bill on strengthening responsibility for license violations was brought in to the State Duma. While looking for ways to influence pharmacies that unlawfully dispense pharmaceuticals most popular among drug addicts, lawmakers are trying to take a strict control over Rx drug sales at large. Most experts are sure that this idea will crush against the effects of real-life retailing, and suggest other solutions.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 2]

No methods ahead soon

Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) merged with Federal Tariff Service (FTS)

Premier Dmitry Medvedev has implemented his idea of integrating FTS within the framework of FAS. The integrated agency is headed by Igor Artemiev. Now the Pharma community gears up to live with the fact that the updated VED pricing methods are unlikely to appear before winter, and that FAS, with its inherent perfectionism, is trying to find out the rationale and procedures that the ex-FTS employees were guided by before.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 3]

Beyond any formal framework

The “Editorial Fireplace” rubric hosted Igor KRYLOV, Director for Government Relations and Strategic Development at AstraZeneca Russia&Eurasia. Mr. Krylov, ex-CEO of Pharmstandard, told PharmVestnik Editor-in-Chief Herman Inozemtsev and correspondent Polina Zvezdina about what principles he had been guided by when choosing a new employer as well as shared his outlook for the Russian Pharma market.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 4]

Unlawful arousal

A criminal case has been launched against manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements for boosting sexual performance. The Investigation Committee based its decision on the results of the dietary supplement market monitoring initiated by the industry associations. In the course of this monitoring, Rx ingredients were detected in the supplements most widely used against erectile dysfunction. The manufacturers of the supplements on the “stop list” keep stating that the above information is unreliable.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 7]

They have suffered enough

Head of Pharmacy Distribution Department of Tescom Pharma Ltd. Evgeny FERSHTER told PharmVestnik correspondent Polina Zvezdina why he did not trust the monitoring results published by Research and production Enterprise BAD (Dietary Supplements).

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 8]

New stage of old idea

Experts predict hard luck for drug flow monitoring initiative

Until the 28^th of August, the common bill website holds a public discussion of a bill on implementing a computerized system for monitoring of the drug flow from manufacturer to consumer. While market players completely share the objectives stated by the authors of this bill, they propose the lightest possible option of its implementation.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 9]

Labyrinths of compulsory health insurance

Russian medicine is not 100 percent insurance-based so far

The expert community increasingly often discusses the healthcare system efficiency issues. In particular, the underlying principles of the Russian compulsory health insurance system attract a lot of criticisms from the experts. To what extent does the current insurance-based medicine meet the patients and doctors’ demands? This was the main question that PharmVestnik observer Anna Kurskaya asked to Eduard GAVRILOV, Director of Independent Monitoring Foundation “Zdorovie” (Health), Deputy Director of Burnazyan Federal Center for Extrapyramidal Diseases and Mental Health, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 10]

Foreign-accented studies

Clinical trials conducted in Russia compete successfully on global scale

Contrary to the widespread opinion, the Russian pharmaceutics is not lagging behind the West in all respects. Experts believe that the Russian clinical trials segment stands on its own two feet and even has certain competitive advantages in the world market.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 11]

Why investors are not in a hurry to get to Russia

Foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers await a favorable investment and regulatory climate for launching wide-scale localization and its extension to full-cycle manufacturing and technology export. Corporations count on common rules, systematic approach, and support of competition.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 12]

Shadow Pharma soldiers

Heads of purchase departments prefer creative employees

Purchase departments of pharmaceutical companies are often viewed as certain “utility” components aimed at making the life of more “serious” business units easier. However, this link is considered to be the most corruption-prone. PharmVestnik investigated to what extent such assumptions are valid together with heads of purchase departments of largest Pharma companies.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 13]

High hopes of low season

Rating of Russian pharmacy chains, H115

From the Russian retailer’s perspective, the results of the 1^st half of 2015 may be considered positive: notwithstanding an appreciable dumping of demand that has been superimposed over a seasonal drop, the money supply continues growing at a two-digit rate. The state regulators seem to have grown cold to pharmaceutical retailers as well. The only exclusion is a formal ban on the web pharmacy activities, which has been for the most part ignored by the pharmacy chains so far, despite the threat of prejudicial website blocking.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, pp. 14-16]

Eye grounds

Doubtful eye drops were selling geared by respectable Russian media

A criminal case against three locals has been initiated at Leninsky district court of Krasnodar. These local citizens were buying cheap eye drops from pharmacies, labeling them over with catchy tradenames, and then selling on the web triple the price. Their split reached 26 mn RUB. Now they are facing up to 10 years in prison.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 18]

Payoff for footnote in small print

Federal Antimonopoly Service penalized a pharmacy for consumer fraud

A Khakassian pharmacy is to pay a 100,000 RUB fine for inaccurate advertising. The reason is running two promotion actions simultaneously without adding up the discounts. Despite the fact that such fines are rare, complaints to FAS are one of the widespread competitive tools; therefore pharmacy chains are closely watching their rivals’ activities.

[PharmVestnik # 24, 28/07/2015, p. 19]