GOVT. DECISION LEADS TO COUNTERFEIT DRUGS IN ARMENIAN MARKET

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 29, 2012 – 12:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Medicine Producers and Importers Union (MPI Union)
of Armenia demands tightening of laws that regulate import and export
of drugs, head of the Union said.

As Samvel Zakaryan told a press conference on March 29, amendment to
the decision “On approval of import and export of drugs” passed by the
government back in March 2011, resulted in emergence of counterfeit
medicine such as Actovegin Forte 200 mg, Series 1069391 and 10677398,
Concor 5 mg, Series 135628 and Concor Cor 2,5 mg, Series 133703 by
Nycomed pharmaceutical company.

According to Mr. Zakaryan, government amendments enabled importers
to sell drugs without registration in relevant research center.

“We repeatedly addressed the authorities with a request to reconsider
the decision. This time, too, we have issued a letter both to the
government and security institutions to take steps aimed at withdrawal
of these drugs from circulation.

Head of the MPI Union, however, dismissed linkage of the problem to
market monopolization.

According to him, the problem, instead, is related to the fact that
the legislation doesn’t stipulate use of a differential mark on the
drug package that would enable the consumer to differentiate registered
medication from the unregistered one.