Falsification of medicines may be prosecuted in Armenia
The Armenian parliament is considering the possibility of introducing criminal penalties for the falsification of medicines, health minister Armen Muradyan said today.
According to him, the lawmakers are considering now a bill "On Drugs" which is supposed to be taken in the second reading, and which provides for strict control over the entire chain - from the production of medicines to their sales.
The current Armenian law "On Drugs" was adopted in 1998. According to the minister, the proposed amendments are designed to eliminate deficiencies in the current law, introduce full control of the entire process- from the production of medicines, their clinical trials, packaging, storage, transportation, sale and disposal. The bill also calls for more severe administrative penalties for violation of the law.
The amendments are designed to bring the Armenian pharmaceutical products in line with international standards. T improve access to medicines the bill provides for the introduction of price regulation mechanisms, to be applied by the government.
Today 5,400 names of medications are officially registered in Armenia. The helath ministry says this number is 2.5 times more than the basic package of drugs. -0-