The Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) has identified problems in the pricing system for medicines and medical devices.
According to the agency's press office, due to opaque mechanisms and inflated applications, some domestic drugs turned out to be 2–3 times more expensive than foreign equivalents. The reason was the lack of analysis of actual costs and price inflation by suppliers and manufacturers.
It is noted that from 2025 the approach should change: prices will be calculated based on average indicators from reference countries and official sources, rather than on data from the applicants themselves.
It is also proposed to make inspection services part of a state monopoly and regulate their costs in order to eliminate excessive expenditure for pharmaceutical companies.
The APDC paid particular attention to the activities of SK-Pharmacy LLP. Approximately 45% of purchases are carried out by the operator through distributors, rather than directly from manufacturers, which increases the risks of price rises and reduces transparency.
The APDC recommended increasing the share of direct purchases and enshrining a mandatory cost analysis when concluding long-term contracts.
Recall that in July, law enforcement agencies launched a criminal investigation into embezzlement at SK-Pharmacy LLP and entities in the pharmaceutical sector. The case was initiated following an appeal by Majilis deputies Bakytzhan Bazarbek and Murat Abenov to the Prosecutor General's Office regarding violations identified by the Supreme Audit Chamber (SAC).