Kazakhstan tightens penalties for production and sale of adulterated medicine

During this period, the Ministry of Health has registered more than 90 facts of selling counterfeit medical products of popular international brands. As reported Salidat Kairbekova, Minister of Health, there have been imposed fines amounting to more than KZT 2.5 million within the mentioned period. The Minister also said that according to statistics, 50% of medicines sold on the Internet do not have quality assurances. Kazakhstan legislative bans selling medical products through the Internet, however our citizens continue to use the services of international websites. In addition, within the establishment in 2016 of the single market of medical products, about 50 acts will be development and adopted by the member states of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. In the light of the European Community experience, the Ministry represented proposals to the Criminal Code on criminalization of distribution of counterfeit medical products. The amendments were recently signed by the Heads of State. In addition, Kazakhstan aims to join the Council of Europe Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (or MEDICRIME convention). Within the framework of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space is it planned to create a unified information system in the field of medicines, including a database on counterfeit medicines.