BEING IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR ARMENIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

Noyan Tapan

Nov 12, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. A conference on development of
Armenia’s pharmaceutical industry started its work in Yerevan on
November 12. Issues related to the main principles of the proper
production activity, their introduction in Armenia, as well as
development of the pharmaceutical sector will be discussed during
the two-day conference.

According to Emil Gabrielian, the director of the Expert Center of
Medicines and Medical Technology, today many countries exports and
import only medicines in line with the proper production activity
standards which ensure the correspondence of medicines with
international standards and control their quality.

In the opinion of E. Gabrielian, there are numerous problems
in Armenia’s pharmaceutical sector which is in need of serious
reforms. "Medicines are the key healthcare factor, they are a weapon
of doctors. In this connection special requirements are made regarding
their production and use," he said.

In his words, the proper production conditions are absent at many
enterprises, which results in the low quality of products and their
packing.

E. Gabrielian said that if the current situation continues, no country
will buy medicines from Armenia in the future.

"Being in line with international standards is extremely important
for Armenia’s pharmaceutical industry," the chief competitiveness
expert of the USAID-financed Competitive Armenian Private Sector
(CAPS) Alan Saffery said.

He added that the use of proper production activity standards will
increase competitiveness in the sectior because by improving their
production, the domestic manufacturers of medicines will be able to
compete more successfully with importers and to export their products
to more countries.