Prices fall for more than a quarter of medicines in Kazakhstan

Prices dropped for 799 of 3,073 medicine items, Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova said.

Medicine prices in Kazakhstan fell for 799 of 3,073 listed products, or 26% of the total. The decrease was identified through digital monitoring of the pharmaceutical market.

Author: Робот Source: Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan

A person looking at medicine packages in a pharmacy in Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry reported lower prices for some medicines. Illustrative photo. Photo: Pexels / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

Prices fell for 799 of the 3,073 medicine items recorded in Kazakhstan, representing 26% of the total. Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova announced the figures at a government meeting.

Making medicines more accessible to the public remains one of the ministry’s priorities, Alnazarova said. Digital monitoring of the pharmaceutical market showed the price decline. Prices for more than half of medicines in circulation remain stable.

As part of the implementation of the Head of State’s instructions, the government reviewed its approach to regulating medicine prices. Price controls were removed for non-prescription medicines and prescription medicines costing less than one monthly calculation index.

The Ministry of Health has also strengthened digital monitoring of medicine distribution. A labelling system tracks the movement and availability of medicines and helps identify cases where the established maximum prices are exceeded.

People in Kazakhstan can use the eGov Mobile and «Нақты өнім» apps to check information about a medicine, its manufacturer and its maximum retail price. They can also submit a complaint to the Ministry of Health if they find a violation.

The ministry said it would continue efforts to improve access to medicines, make pricing more transparent and protect patients’ rights.

Translated from Russian using artificial intelligence. Source: Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan