About 3,000 medicines have disappeared from the Bulgarian market between 2014 and 2022. The main reason for the withdrawal of a large part of the available medicines is the unprofitability of their production and sale.
The Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (BGFarmA) Nikolay Hadzhidonchev warned about this on the air of “This Morning“.
According to him, the shortage of medicines is not a problem only for Bulgaria, but for the entire European Union. However, the reasons are different for innovative and generic medicines.
„When it comes to expensive innovative medicines, the main problem for shortages is related to the free movement of goods and services or the so-called parallel trade within the European Union. Something that is completely normal and legal“, explained Hadzhidonchev.
He pointed out that the prices of medicines in Bulgaria are among the lowest in Europe. This stimulates traders to buy medicines from the Bulgarian market and sell them in countries where prices are higher.
With generic medicines, which are widely used to treat chronic diseases, the problem is different.
„In recent years, many medicines have been withdrawn from the market and the main reason for their withdrawal is unprofitability. The price that is regulated is such that the manufacturer either hardly makes a profit or is at a loss and therefore decides to withdraw the respective medication“, said the chairman of BGFarmA.
According to Hadjidonchev, the situation has become especially complicated after the COVID-19 pandemic, when production costs have increased significantly.
The prices of active substances, which are mainly produced in China and India, have jumped dramatically. Energy and transportation costs have also increased, while drug prices continue to be regulated.
“It is not normal for a package of antibiotics to be the price of a coffee“, he commented.
According to him, for a number of critically important medications, only one manufacturer remains on the market. This creates a risk of shortages if a production or quality problem arises.
“It has come to the point that for many critically important medications, only one manufacturer remains. And when a production or quality problem occurs for this manufacturer, the medicine is no longer available,“ explained Hadzhidonchev.
He stressed that it is necessary to guarantee the presence of more than one manufacturer of critically important medicines in order to ensure their constant availability.
Regarding the differences in the prices of medicines between Bulgaria and other European countries, Hadzhidonchev explained that prices depend on a number of factors - the size of the market, local regulations, competition and the decisions of pharmaceutical companies.
It also matters whether the medicine is locally produced or imported.
He stressed that the prices of medicines in Bulgaria are strictly regulated, especially for products that are dispensed by prescription. There are also regulations for over-the-counter medicines, including some of the markups and discounts in pharmacies.
Regarding the upcoming inspections by the Consumer Protection Commission, Hadzhidonchev said that he has no concerns.
Despite the problems with the shortage of medicines, Bulgaria has a significant production of generic medicines, which according to Hadzhidonchev helps to limit shortages.
“There are shortages throughout the European Union and globally. Many Western European countries are talking about much more serious shortages than in Bulgaria“, he said.
According to him, 10% of those employed in the production of generic medicines in the European Union are in Bulgaria.