Roszdravnadzor builds up power
In early October, public discussion of amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences came to completion. The draft law provides for new types of offences and sanctions for medical and pharmaceutical professionals. Among other things, the document finally determines fines for physicians communicating with medreps, although they do not exceed 20,000 rubles. However, not all types of punishments are as insignificant as that. For some other violations, Roszdravnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development) plans to charge up to 5 million rubles or suspend the respective enterprise’s operations for 3 months.
From “white” to “grey”
Experts forecast that parallel imports may be permitted in 2017
A lot of pros and cons have been at stake in the debates regarding the implementation of parallel drug imports. However, experts are still uncertain about this phenomenon, the more so that the product importation mechanisms with certain “parallelism” properties have existed in Russia for a long time. A statement to this effect was made at the 7th International Conference “What is Going On in the Pharmaceutical Market?”
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 1, cont’d p.2]
The main thing is to get involved
It is wise to sign long-term contracts in crisis
A transfer to one-year budgeting has set many of pharmaceutical manufacturers on fire. Quite a lot of large companies are involved in the state bidding operations, and many of them have looked at long-term contracts as an option of collaborating with the state. But what kind of planning is it going to be if the government paces itself for just a year? However, some experts believe that it is worthwhile making long-terms contracts with the government. The main thing is to know how to do that.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 1, cont’d p.3]
About drugs and oil
Day one of the 7th International Conference “What is Going On in the Pharmaceutical Market?” was devoted to macroeconomic forecasts for the year 2016 as well as regulatory issues of the pharmaceutical industry. The agenda included the protracted transfer to the GMP standards as well as the extended VED (Vital and Essential Drugs) list and its effect on the market.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, pp. 4-5]
Current regulatory framework may torpedo preferences under “odd-man-out” regulation
The pharmaceutical industry is waiting for the approval of the “odd-man-out” regulation in respect of the state drug purchasing. Local manufacturers are looking forward to this regulation, while foreign manufacturers are not so enthusiastic. However, some experts believe that even provided that such document is approved, local drugs will not flood Russia’s hospitals.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 7]
GMP Inspectorate to visit everyone
On October 5, within the framework of the 7th International Conference “What is Going On in the Pharmaceutical Market?”, PharmVestnik TV made a remote interview with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Sergey TSYB.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 8]
Crisis makes dreams come true
Pharmacy chain optimization as growth driver
At the past week’s Pharmacy Summit in Moscow, some leaders of the largest pharmacy chains, like a year ago, stated that they had found a lot of new tools that provided not only for upholding their market positions but also for growth. Others enlarged on the new opportunities that the crisis provided, which made the audience catch flies. All of a sudden, Pharmacy Guild COO Elena Nevolina added drive to the discussion when she in fact accused pharmacies of having clean forgotten about their social functions when reporting about their performance.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 8]
Happy? Not today!
Experts discussed prospects and risks of common market
Quite little time remains until the EEU common market becomes operative; therefore with increasing frequency market players take the challenge of respective prospects and potential risks as well as take stock of getting prepared for the new operating conditions. Up to date, all second-level documents (acts regulating the drug circulation stage) have been developed and approved by the task group that includes representatives of regulatory agencies of all EEU member-countries. In all, 90% of the EEU documents have come through the discussion and regulatory impact assessment stages. The regulatory framework will become the basis for business-related decision-marking. That is why the representatives of foreign and Russian companies that took part in discussing the future of the common market at the conference “Pharmaceutical Regulatory Scope and Business Development—2015” hosted in Moscow by Fleming Europe on October 1—2 specifically focused on the future regulatory framework and its impact on business.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 9]
Following tradition
Experts reflected on preliminary results of recession year
October 1 saw the 1st meeting of the Russian Association of Pharmaceutical Marketing after the summer break. Following the tradition, it focused on the results of the 2nd half-year as well as prospects both of the association itself and the market. Despite the basic data gaps, analysts agreed that the current state of the market incorporates drivers for further successful development.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, pp. 10-11]
Pharma market’s “got you last”
Preliminary results of Russia’s Pharma market state
One usually says that Russia’s economy suffers from the sanctions and inhibited access to foreign technologies, products, and funding. In fact, the economic recession in Russia is totally a result of the world-scale processes such as reduction in raw materials consumption and industrial output as a whole as well as slowdown of the world’s leading economies.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 12]
From plans to reality
Preliminary results of healthcare state funding in Russia
The state health expenditures for 2015 approved as of the year beginning totaled 3.19 trillion rubles. During the year, the health expenditures have been adjusted and totaled 3.22 trillion rubles as of September 1 (+0.8% vs. the year beginning). The spending structure has not changed significantly; however, there are some changes.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 12]
Glimpse of market
Out-of-pocket pharmaceutical sector in figures: January—August, 2015 (in consumer prices, without dietary supplements)
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 13]
Reference service without opposition
Navalny’s teammate not to cooperate with pharmacies
Leonid Volkov, a politician and businessman from Ekaterinburg, who led the democratic coalition’s electoral headquarters at the election to Novosibirsk and Kostroma regional legislature, has abandoned his IT project titled “Receptol”. This project was designed as an online reference service to help select a pharmacy with the lowest drug basket cost. According to Mr. Volkov, he has failed to find an investor.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 14]
Pharmacevt chain acquired Nectar pharmacies
Rostov-on-Don Pharmacevt Group acquired 26 pharmacies of the regional chain Nectar South. The acquisition price has not been disclosed; however, experts estimate it at 60 to 100 million rubles. The pharmacies will operate under the Social Pharmacy brand that unites (taking into account the franchisee) 203 pharmacies in Rostov, Volgograd, and Voronezh regions as well as in Stavropol and Krasnodar territories.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 14]
With sniper's precision
The scientists from the Southern Federal University (SFU) are developing ultrasound targeted micro containers used for delivering active ingredients to the organism’s cells. The technologies developed by the SFU’s Research Institute of Physics provide not only for managing the container motions but also for setting the container opening time in order to deliver the drug to the patient’s organism precisely at the moment required by a physician. Director of the SFU’s Advanced Research and Development Center Andrey RYBYANETS discloses some details.
[PharmVestnik # 31, 06/10/2015, p. 15]
