OREANDA-NEWS. May 04, 2009. Ms. Larisa Popovich, First Deputy CEO/COO of OJSC ROSNO-MS, took part in the public hearing on pharmacological support in the Russian Federation in the times of crisis, held by the RF Public Chamber Committee for Healthcare, reported the press-centre of ROSNO.

The hearing was attended by representatives of the RF Government, State Duma, Federation Council, research institutions, parties, public associations, and mass media. This public hearing was chaired by Mr. Leonid Roshal, Chairman of the Committee and member of the Public Chamber.

During the hearing, the participants analyzed the situation prevailing in pharmacological support and expressed uneasiness about the growing prices for medications and their diminishing affordability for the significant share of the Russian population during the crisis.

After the hearing, Ms. Larisa Popovich stated: "Today, drug affordability is the most acute problem in Russia. The amount of public spending on healthcare, including the share of state funds in financing pharmacological support, is several times lower than in many other countries; this level of funding is insufficient given the current crisis." According to Ms. Larisa Popovich, the government policy in drug pricing is limited to registration procedures. The Russian drug market is still largely based on imports.

The procedure for application of medical aid standards has not yet been determined, and the mentioned standards are largely not followed. Under the DLO/ONLS program, state support is provided to 5 million people. Today, however, Russia has over 7 million unemployed people, who must get access to medications with the government’s help.

The opinion of Ms. Larisa Popovich is that the objective of maintaining drug affordability will require not only the larger share of public funding in the pharmaceutical market, but also other serious measures. For example, the government has to tighten price control in the wholesale and retail market sectors, revise the lists of state-funded medications by supplementing those with the drugs of proven clinical response, review medical aid standards, and shift to the insurance principles in the field of pharmacological support. "And these measures should be taken as soon as possible, since the current crisis may seriously worsen the nation’s state of health", emphasized Ms. Larisa Popovich.