THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION CAME UP WITH THE “ROAD MAP” FOR DEVELOPING COMPETITION IN HEALTH CARE

The document specifies measures to develop competition on the markets of medicinal drugs, medical products, medical services, as well as biologically active supplements in the next four years

No. 9-r Government Order of 12 January 2018 approved the Action Plan (“Road Map”) for developing competition in health care. The Road Map is published on the official portal of the RF Government.

The Road Map covers the period till 2021 and specifies 47 measures towards developing competition in the key areas of health care, including:

- Improving the state registration procedure of medicinal products and biologically active supplements

- Amending the mechanism of regulating prices for vital and essential medicines

- Enabling efficient performance of the institution of substitutability of medicinal drugs and medical products

- Improving the law on procurement of drugs and medical products for the state and municipal needs

- Regulating intellectual property protection

- Developing competition between pharmacies

- Devising measures to reform the law on mandatory insurance.

To implement the Road Map, responsible executives of various items on the Action Plan should draft 36 federal laws and acts of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Head of FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Trade, Timophei Nizhegorodtsev pointed out: “The Road Mapprovides for significant changes in the existing legal regulation over the health are sector. FAS was able to overcome all disagreements with the specialized ministries regarding the expediency of further developing competition in the industry and the Government has supported us.  The Government Order became the first act designed to fulfill the National Plan for Developing Competition in the Russian Federation approved by a Presidential Order*”.

* No. 618  Order of the President of the Russian Federation  of 21 December 2017 approved 2018-2020National Plan for Developing Competition in the Russian Federation. In Clause 2 it is specified that by 1 July 2018 the Government must approved the actions plans towards developing competition in 2018-2020 in various sectors of the national economy, particularly, heath care.