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The proposed draft will improve the functioning of the drug market in Armenia, which is a step towards improving the quality of drugs. The Chair of the Standing Committee on Health Care Narek Zeynalyan said this. The necessity for the amendment arose after the fact that the Inspection Body found illegally imported drugs in pharmacies that were stamped, but not registered in the Republic of Armenia.

The draft law on Making Addenda and Amendment to the RA Tax Code authored by the deputies Narek Zeynalyan and Arpine Davoyan was debated in the first reading at the NA extraordinary session convened on July 11.

With the proposed regulations, the imported medicine will be alienated after receiving the import certificate (compliance), sampling and a positive expert opinion, contributing to increasing the safety of drugs circulating in the RA.

According to the Committee Chair, the State Revenue Committee does not have the opportunity to verify the fact, existence and authenticity of the import certificate.

Khachatur Sukiasyan inquired whether there was a fixed deadline for sampling, the response of the Ministry of Health and the State Revenue Committee issuing a stamp. Narek Zeynalyan noted that a three-day deadline was set for issuing a stamp, stressing that reasonable deadlines were set. The Committee Chair added that when applying to the Ministry of Health for an import certificate and filling out the application to get a stamp from the State Revenue Committee, the expiration date of the drug must be mentioned.

The co-rapporteur, the RA Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan informed that the draft was debated with the relevant specialists of the Government, the RA Health and Labor Inspectorate, the organizations engaged in retail and wholesale activities of drugs, as well as the representatives of the pharmaceutical association. According to her, the Ministry of Health should issue an import certificate within 7 days.

The initiative was adopted in the first reading.