Moscow Changes Drug Procurement Policy

In Russia, the Moscow city authorities are to procure drugs andmedicines on a tender basis alone, starting this year, and have indicated that when the demand for specific drugs is below 1,000 packs, these may be purchased directly from the state drug enterprises.

Meanwhile, the city has invited tenders for a wide range of drugs to be distributed free of charge or at half price to various groups, including war veterans, older people and the handicapped. Bar-coding is a prerequisite for bidders as the city is making efforts to streamline its accounting to eliminate the possible use of forged prescriptions. The budget-financed drug sales volume is higher in Moscow than elsewhere in the Russian Federation, and in 1996 the capital accounted for 1,150 billion roubles ($195.5 million) out of a total 2,500 billion roubles nationwide.