In order to reduce the costs of treatments, Russians should be allowed to buy individual pills, not just boxes, stated Ayrat Farrahov, a State Duma deputy and member of the Budget and Taxes Committee, for “FederalPress”. In his opinion, this measure would not only make medicines more accessible, but would also reduce the amount of expired medicines in people’s homes.
“We often have headaches and need one or two pills. Why should we buy ten? The dose does not match the amount in the package, and the pills end up being thrown away. For pensioners, this matters,” the deputy said.
Farrahov proposes that pills be delivered in bags or large boxes, and the dosage be done directly in pharmacies. He argues that this system would allow savings even in public procurement. He also reminded that Russian law already allows pharmacies to prepare medicines.
He cited the USA and Germany as examples, where some medicines – including semaglutide – are produced in pharmacies, which reduces costs and allows for a “personalized treatment”.
“At present, we have authorized pharmacies only for the preparation of unregistered medicines, but we will develop this direction,” Farrahov concluded.
Since the outbreak of the war against Ukraine, the list of available medicines in Russia has drastically reduced. People with chronic diseases constantly complain about the lack of essential treatments in hospitals and pharmacies.
According to “Novaia Gazeta Europa”, at the beginning of 2025, 134 medicines from the list of vital ones could no longer be found in Russia. Among them: 20 oncological medicines, 5 antibiotics, 3 antiepileptics, insulin for pregnant women, immunosuppressants, treatments for migraines, allergies, tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria.