Russia to Impose Stricter Control on Imported Medical Products

New certification laws for imported medical products will come into force in Russia on December 15 and will involve much stricter control of all imported medical products, a Rosbalt correspondent was informed by the press office of the Russian Health Ministry. The ministry believes that there are a number of shortcomings in the current certification system and quality control of medical products. Imported medical products are currently being brought into Russia on the basis of the manufacturer's certification alone. Customs officials simply check that the information in the paperwork is the same as that written on the packaging. The quality of the products and their authenticity is not verified. The new system will involve the certification of medical products as they are brought over the Russian border. This procedure will take place in Russian certification centres.

The process of certifying Russian medical products, on the other hand, will be simplified. Previously such products had to be certified every time they were sold and this expensive procedure increased the price of medical products in drug stores. According to new laws, every medical product will be certified once by the manufacturer when it appears on the market. This certification will remain valid until the medical product's expiry date.

Specialists believe that this new simplified system will only work with the aid of a supervisory body which will selectively test medical products.

At the present time counterfeit drugs officially account for 7-8% of the Russian pharmaceutical market. This figure is continually increasing.