Zemaj's decision on the price of medicines is pronounced scandalous, warning of drug closure

The Kosovo Pharmacists' Oda (OFK) has reacted to the Health Minister's recent decision to Dismanage Administrative Guide No. 02/2019 for fixing the price of medical products and equipment. The Zemaj Oda decision of the pharmaceuticals called it scandalous.

The deputy chairman of the Kosovo Pharmacists' Oda, Dardane Mehaj, said that with this decision, only organised crime and corruption are damaged by citizens.

Mehaji further at the media conference has stressed that with this administrative directive, patients benefit from it as well.

This decision yesterday is a scandalous decision, especially in this situation that Kosovo in this face-to-face with COVID-19 waiting to implement the directive to regulate drug prices, comes a decision that abolishs the decision after all the administrative procedures it has passed and we expecting empowerment on July 1st, come the decision to abolish. This is important that Kosovo's population buys 12m euros more expensive medicines than the region... With the abolition of this decision, organized crime and corruption and the drugs in the black have been damaging us for 20 years. We immediately request the abolition of Minister”, Mehaj said.

The Association of Pharmacists has called on the minister to cancel this decision and empower Administrative Guides to regulate the price of medicines.

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Kosovo Pharmacists' House, John Gegaj, has also warned the closure of the drugstores if the Health Ministry does not cancel yesterday's decision.

We have a lot of demands for oxygen and ampulas that are lacking, and that we come to this situation when it's the pandemic at the peak, that we have to deal with other things and with the closure of drugs not by our own will, but outside of our will it's really irresponsible. We call for this decision to be abolished, and immediately abolished and empowered administrative instruction”, he said.

In contrast, the Secretary of Economic Age, Taulant Bajrami, said the decision to abolish Administrative Guide for Equipment has judicial uncertainty.

“We assess that such a decision contains some judicial uncertainty, because the same one says administrative instruction is abolished, meanwhile, 53 clearly shows the difference between cancellation and abolishing a judicial act. Article 53 in paragraph 2 predicts the effects of these decisions. The minister's decision is abolishing and, as such, under Article 53, implies only the period after making the decision, after 4 August, when the decision was issued, and as such, creates uncertainty”, he said.

Last night, the Ministry of Health through a media communique has reacted to public reactions about abolishing 02/2019 Administrative Guides for fixing prices of medical products and equipment. By means of this communique, it has pledged that we will support pharmacists and regulate Kosovo's pharmaceutical market only with legal provisions in force.