YEREVAN. – Armenia started importing cheap, but not very high quality medicines from India, Armenia's Medicine Producers and Importers Union chairman Samvel Zakaryan told reporters.

He said these drugs were interferring with tenders from Armenian producers.

“India has a lot of different manufacturers, some of them are recognized internationally. Therefore, a center of drug expertise and medical technology at the Health Ministry should chek what medicines are being improted. Laboratory analysis should verify their quality and safety,” he said. 

Zakaryan emphasized that analysis of the active substance is not enough, and you need to check the biocompatibility.

“Other chemical components, besides the active substance can not be of high quality. In case of a drug with weak segments, the patient has to drink two or three pills instead of one,” Zakaryan emphasized.

The volume of medicine import from India to Armenia traditionally remained small: in 2013 it amounted to about $ 3.6 million., or 3.3% of total imports.