The pharmaceutical market is expected to have shortages of some drugs as the Ministry of Health has not yet approved the new drug prices.
Sources of Top Channel say that the pharmaceutical companies have brought the prices to the Ministry since October and according to the drug law, the Ministry of Health should have published the new prices since January 3. This delay of the Ministry means that the companies cannot import the drugs in Albania and this will lead to delays in supplying the pharmacies with them.
This concern was raised a few days ago by the president of the Order of Pharmacies, Mrs. Diana Toma, who said that some changes should have been made in the drug law and that the Agency of Medicines should be independent from the Ministry of Health.
"They are afraid of independent institutions and the removal of power", says Toma.
In many European countries, the Medicines Agencies are independent from the Ministries of Health, which as its competence has policy-making and not the regulation and smooth running of the pharmaceutical market.