Discount Drug Dispensing In Moscow

Starting this year, over one million citizens of Moscow entitled to freeor discounted drugs will now be able to obtain them in pharmacies, using prescription forms that have been designed to protect against fraud.

Work on the scheme, which is part of a larger project being introduced in the city to attempt to eliminate abuses in the drug sales and administration system, commenced in 1995.

The new system is backed by a computer network installed in all pharmacies providing reimbursable products, and in two health insurance companies, MAKS and ROSNO, which will reimburse the sellers. The computer network will provide access to information about the discounted prescription and its holder, and will make this information available to the seller and insurer.