YEREVAN. – This bill discusses the issue of licensing wholesale drug sales, extending the validity of a certificate for the proper distribution of publicly accessible and prescription drugs, and disseminating respective information in the media. Deputy Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan announced this at the November 19 sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, during the discussion of the bill on Making Addenda to the Law on Drugs.

According to her, three changes are planned. The first relates to the term of the wholesale licensing obligations of medical drugs. The second concerns the change in the timing of obtaining a license. And the third change concerns the dissemination of prescription drug information in the media.

The deputy minister's last proposal to inform the public raised concerns among parliamentarians, who said that the clause actually contradicts the law as it proposes to "advertise" medical drugs. The government representative tried to assure that the arguments of the parliamentarians and their concerns were groundless.