OREANDA-NEWS. August 16, 2011. Medication prices in Moldova went down on average by 19 percent in the first half of 2011 in comparison with the same period lat year. It resulted from the fact that about 96 percent of names of medicines sold on the home market were included into the Price Catalogue. At the same time, it was managed to stop the rise in medication prices that was over 20% a year in the previous years.

Prices for medicines imported from such countries as China, India, Syria didn’t reduce due to the fact that they are not sold on markets of the region’s countries and, respectively, there are no guidance prices. It was discussed at the meeting held by Prime Minister Vladimir Filat with producers, importers and sellers of pharmaceutical production participating, the government’s press service reports. Participants discussed measures that have been taken, the achieved progress and steps for future to provide the country’s citizens with high-quality medication at reasonable prices.

The information was presented by the health care minister Andrei Usatii and by the director of the Center for combating economic crimes and corruption Viorel Chetraru. The health minister said the medication quality testing laboratory had been moved to the new building and would soon be supplied with six chronotrographs, enabling economic agents to get the reply regarding the medicines’ quality within 20 days.

The health care ministry invited the World Health Organizations’ experts to Moldova to prepare the study regarding the population’s access to medicines. The study’s results will be ready in November.