President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that there were shortages of some drugs in Russia, despite the country producing more of its own drugs, and suggested stockpiling popular drugs to help meet demand.
While prescription drugs are exempt from Western sanctions imposed during the war in Ukraine, their delivery to Russia has been hit by transport, insurance and customs obstacles caused by the war and other restrictive measures, according to industry figures.
“There has been a shortage of some drugs, despite the fact that we saw the production of pharmaceuticals in the (first) three quarters of last year increase by around 22%,” Putin said during a briefing. a televised meeting with government officials.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference in Minsk, Belarus, December 19, 2022.
(Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via REUTERS)
“Sixty percent of drugs on the market are national drugs. Nevertheless, a deficit has formed for some drugs and prices have increased.”
He added that Russia does not restrict drug imports and continues to work with foreign manufacturers.
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“We need to make sure there are supplies of the most popular drugs within a certain timeframe,” he said, suggesting that Russia could stockpile drugs for the flu season the same way it does. it is accumulating gas reserves in anticipation of the winter.
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, Russians rushed to stock up on drugs, with people buying a month’s worth of drugs in just two weeks .
Russia also imports much of its medical equipment, such as pacemakers and radiotherapy machines, from the European Union and the United States, and its dependence is particularly acute for the most complex and critical machines. .