YEREVAN. – Armenia is one of those fortunate countries where the amount of counterfeit and expired drugs in the market is very small, a mere 1-2 percent, on Friday stated Samvel Zakaryan, Chairman of the Union of Drug Manufacturers and Importers of Armenia.  

In his words, this is largely due to activities by the Health Ministry’s Testing Center, which has the latest equipment and a knowledgeable staff.   

As per Zakaryan, the current drug market is monitored properly and anonymous inspections are conducted.

Certain amount of counterfeit drugs is imported to Armenia from neighboring Georgia, where they are cheaper because of the value-added tax exemption at the border. According to Samvel Zakaryan, these drugs enter Armenia inside people’s suitcases, and this makes it difficult to monitor the situation.