The Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ukraine (APLU) supports the compromise draft government resolution developed by the Ministry of Health to regulate the size of marketing payments in the retail pharmaceutical market at 20% for over-the-counter drugs and 3% for prescription drugs.
This is stated in the text of the relevant declaration available to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
APLU members support the proposal to allow marketing expenses in pharmacies for over-the-counter drugs at a level not exceeding 20% of the total sales of each individual licensee (manufacturer, importer, etc.) of such drugs for the previous year, as well as expenses for services related to ensuring the availability of prescription drugs in pharmacies, in an amount not exceeding 3% of the total sales of each individual manufacturer or importer of such drugs for the previous year.
The APLU explains that “this is a compromise solution reached as a result of interdepartmental consultations, and it now best reflects the achievable balance of interests of all market participants involved—manufacturers, importers, and pharmacies.”
According to APLU members, the draft proposed by the Ministry of Health, in particular, establishes clear rules for the functioning of the market in the marketing services segment and creates a predictable and flexible system that minimizes the risks of abuse and “stimulates the development of fair competition based on product quality and service quality, not just marketing budgets.
In addition, APLU members note that the draft is “a stabilizing tool that prevents a payment crisis at all links in the distribution chain, reduces the risks of monopolization of communication channels, and allows jobs to be preserved and the population to have access to quality medicines at fair prices.”
At the same time, APLU participants propose to adopt the draft “as soon as possible as a transitional but fundamental solution that will stabilize the market” and, after the resolution comes into force, to conduct regular monitoring together with all market participants and state authorities to assess its impact and initiate improvements to the tools, if necessary, ensuring public reporting and transparency of information on the structure of marketing costs and their impact on pricing and the preservation of competition.
“We call on all market participants to join this declaration. The reform of the rules should not be achieved by dismantling the pharmacy sector or demonizing marketing, but through the introduction of clear, controllable, and ethical practices,” the APLU emphasizes.
Source: https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/pharmacy/1080866.html
