Ministry proposes importers to undertake lab test of medication

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Expertise and control of imported medications to Armenia will be undertaken not by state agencies, but by the pharmaceutical importers themselves.

Deputy healthcare minister Sergey Khachatryan spoke to ARMENPRESS about the proposed change, which has been submitted to the government.

“We are facilitating the work of businessmen, however we can’t work with simple mechanisms in the case of medicine. There is a need for state agency interference for controlling the quality, safety and efficiency of medications. We held discussions and decided to transition to the European option in order to maintain balance”, he said.

“The importing organization must check the quality, safety and bear responsibility for the sale of the medication in the market”, he added. According to him, state agencies will not deal with the process, but will be informed about it.

Companies are free to have their own laboratories, but can also sign contracts with other licensed labs.

“Bureaucratic processes are being decreased, imports of medication is becoming much more simple”, he said.