Mazhilis deputy Bakhytzhan Bazarbek has sent an application to the Prosecutor General's Office regarding matters identified during an audit by the Supreme Audit Chamber (SAC) in the pharmaceutical sector.
According to CentralMedia24.kz, this concerns the activities of LLP "SK-Pharmacy", the National Centre for Expertise of Medicinal Products, the Single Distributor, and other participants in the pharmaceutical industry.
According to the deputy, auditors found that "SK-Pharmacy" purchased medicines and medical devices at prices exceeding market rates by 40%–365%.
"In other words, drugs that would normally cost thousands of tenge were purchased for tens and hundreds of millions of tenge," Bazarbek's statement reads.
Also, according to the Supreme Audit Chamber, for 2022–2023, medical organisations refused medicines worth 2.8 billion tenge due to planning errors.
Furthermore, due to lack of demand, authorised persons wrote off medicines worth another 280 million tenge. Losses from inefficient logistics and weak control amounted to 17.2 billion tenge. Additionally, excessive payments to pharmaceutical companies totalling 538 million tenge were noted.
"As I promised journalists and the public, based on the audit results, I am filing applications with the supervisory authorities," Bazarbek stated.
The application was also signed by another Mazhilis member, Murat Abenov. Overall, Bakhytzhan Bazarbek said he would send four separate appeals to the Prosecutor General's Office:
- on violations in the pharmaceutical sector;
- in the mandatory social health insurance (MSHI) system;
- concerning the distribution of agricultural subsidies;
- regarding the execution of the republican budget for 2024.
The deputies expect prosecutors to launch a full-scale investigation, which will be followed by pre-trial inquiries and court proceedings against those responsible.
Recall that in January, the AZRK identified serious shortcomings in the activities of the RSE "National Centre for Expertise of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices". It was reported that the enterprise made only a 'superficial' comparison of drug prices in neighbouring countries, relying solely on data provided by applicants.
At the same time, the agency noted that a significant waste of budget funds results from the lack of transparency in the medicine supply procedure and the low level of focus by LLP "SK-Pharmacy" on direct purchases of drugs from manufacturers.