By Samvel Avagyan

YEREVAN. – The Armenian State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (ASCPEC) launched proceedings, on Tuesday, against twelve medical facilities and fifteen medical drug supply companies, for the breach of public medication procurement procedures. According to ASCPEC, this breach limits competition. 

Actions are also launched against large companies that supply medication. 

Prior to launching these proceedings, ASCPEC had carried out a large-scale inspection in 134 medical facilities and 314 private companies. 

And As per ASCPEC Chairman Artak Shaboyan, the inspections have revealed several problems. First, some medical facilities do not hold tenders for purchasing medication. This means the given medical facility reaches an arrangement with a private medication supply company for the purchase of medical drugs, and as a result such private companies are able to sell their products at a higher price. Shaboyan also informed that in many cases such tenders were a mere formality.        

The other violation refers to the medical drugs which the state provides free of charge, or with discounted prices. The inspections have revealed that the prices of such medication are approximately twenty-percent more than the average retail prices, and the patient receives the prescription and is directed to a specific pharmacy.