Tashkent – The Association of Representatives of Foreign Pharmaceutical Companies and Manufacturers (ARFPCM) has sent an official appeal to Health Minister Asilbek Khudayarov, calling for enhanced measures to combat the illegal import and circulation of uncertified medicines. A copy of the letter is available to the editorial office of Podrobno.uz.

The document emphasizes that in 2025, the issue of illegal import and sale of uncertified drugs has taken on a systemic character. This poses direct risks to citizens' health, as medicines imported outside established procedures may not meet safety requirements or be stored in violation of temperature regimes. Additionally, the "gray" market damages state interests, violates intellectual property rights, and creates conditions for unfair competition.

In this regard, the association has requested the ministry to clarify the timelines for implementing legislative changes proposed earlier to bring order to the industry. These include innovations such as a tenfold increase in fines and the introduction of a mechanism to revoke licenses of pharmacy organizations even for a single serious violation. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical community awaits the launch of a public registry of violators based at the Center for Pharmaceutical Product Safety, where data on unscrupulous market participants will be stored for three years.

Foreign manufacturers have expressed readiness for close cooperation with the regulator to jointly develop mechanisms to counter illegal trade. Specifically, the company AstraZeneca has already conducted its own investigation into smuggling facts and is prepared to provide the results to the authorities. According to experts, such business-state cooperation aligns with the position of the country's leadership: to attract major global players (Big Pharma) to the Uzbek market, it is necessary to ensure transparency and full protection from counterfeit products.

Previously, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on major drug importers to establish drug production in Uzbekistan.

Source: podrobno.uz