GYUMRI, MAY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. There was rather a strong reation not only in Gyumri but also in the whole country when a faked Zinatsef medicine was discovered in the maternity hospital of Gyumri. In order to avoid such problems, the specialists of Expert Center of Medicines and Medical Technologies CJSC are developing a new draft law on medicines with the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to experts, 100 tons of unuseful old medicines has been accumulated in Armenia over years. In the words of the head of the health department of the Shirak regional administration Satenik Beyburtian, there is danger that under conditions of improper control these drugs may be used at some medical institutions, while the order of destruction of old drugs has not yet been established. Until now the problem has been under the jurisdiction of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection. According to Ms Beyburtian, serious attention is given to this problem in Shirak marz. All medical institutions have been instructed not to use old medicines and to store them. After the adoption of the law, the RA Ministry of Health will be competent to make decisions on destruction of medicines whose expiry date is over. The health department head said that a number of problems are currently under discusion and will be included in the indicated law, which will regulate problems related to the import of medicines into Armenia, destruction of old ones, as well as will specify the order of supplying medical institutions with medicines received as humanitarian aid. Control over Armenian drugstors is being implemented by specialists. In addition, pharmacological committees have been created at all medical institutions. If there is a suspicion about a medicine, it is sent to the expert center to undergo examination there. The new law on medicines also aims to control drug prices.

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