Cycle of Expert Sessions on Discussion of Model Law on Medical Supplies in CIS Member Nations Completed

The final fourth international conference in the format of a public expert session “Effectiveness and accessibility of medicines: from technology and evidence base to the patient” on the development of a Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations was held in Tashkent.

The event was organized by the IPA CIS in cooperation with the international organization “Eurasian Cooperation on Clinical Guidelines and Development of National Health” with the support of the CIS Executive Committee, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the Ministry of Health and the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Dmitriy Kobitskiy sent greetings to the participants of the meeting. He noted that a scientifically based approach to decision-making and the formation of legislation is the most important condition for the successful regulation of economic and social processes, and ultimately public administration as a whole. Therefore, much attention is paid to expert assessment and the formation of an evidence base in the preparation of the Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations.

Chair of the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health, RAS academician Yury Shcherbuk stressed the need and relevance of the preparation of this law.

Chair of the Committee on Science, Education and Health at the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bahrom Abdullayev took part in the meeting.

Regional Advisor on Sub-regional partnerships of the Division of Country Support and  Partnerships at the WHO Regional Office for Europe Bakhtygul Karriyeva stressed that urgent joint actions are needed to ensure equal access to medicines for all patients in need, to preserve the sustainability of health systems and to support innovations in the field of medicines.

Deputy Chair of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Chair of the International Expert Academic Working Group on Development of National Evidence Bases in Public Health, Bioethics and Biosafety of the CIS Member Nations Alexander Kilchevsky said that the international group, which unites representatives of all the National Academies of Sciences of the Commonwealth, actively contributes to the work of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Social Policy and Human Rights and participates in the work of the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health at the. The members of the group consolidate the proposals of researchers on filling Model Laws and Recommendations for national health systems from a academic point of view, adhering to international experience in the formation of national evidence bases in the field of health protection of the CIS citizens.

Head of the Department of Science, Education and Innovation Uktam Ismailov announced the greeting of Minister of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan Asilbek Khudayarov.

Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shakhlokhon Turdikulova announced the agreement to work within the framework of the International Expert Academic Working Group on Development of National Evidence Bases in Public Health, Bioethics and Biosafety of the CIS Member Nations and supported the directions of work of the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health on the Model Law and the development of national evidence bases.

Secretary of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Social Policy and Human Rights, Executive Secretary of the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health Evgenia Vladimirova provided information on the activities of the Assembly on the formation of a model legislative framework of the Commonwealth in the field of healthcare.

She spoke about the main provisions of the Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations, including the timeliness of drug provision and its compliance with the type and stage of treatment based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. She also noted the need for accessibility of medicines and rational use as important aspects laid down in the draft Law.

Advisor of the Department for Humanitarian Cooperation, General Political and Social Problems of the CIS Executive Committee Elena Shamal stressed that the issues of drug provision are broader than the sphere of public health protection - this is a matter of national security for the Commonwealth countries.

Advisor on Pricing and Reimbursement of Medicines and Medical Devices of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe Stanislav Knyazkov focused on the existing trend towards the introduction of pharmaceutical care in order to expand the functionality of pharmacists in the WHO European region.

Chair of the Association of Oncologists and Radiologists of the Kyrgyz Republic, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Rector of the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I.K. Akhunbaev, Professor Indira Kudaibergenova supported the initiative of the IPA CIS and announced the creation of a working group of the Academy to make proposals to the draft Law.

It was noted that in the further development of the document, it is necessary to take into account the provisions of the existing Model Laws on the CIS Clinical Recommendations of Medical Care and on Digital Health Care”, as well as the Model Recommendations being developed on the assessment and management of the quality of medical care, assessment of health management technologies and other regulations.

The meeting participants made proposals to the draft Law to clarify definitions, terms and concepts, as well as to prepare additional subsections concerning certain nosologies and socially significant diseases. Experts also noted the need to clarify the mechanism of safe and effective use of medicines. Another suggestion is to prepare a separate chapter on pharmaceutical registers of various drugs.

Deputy Chair of the Commission on Development of the Principles of Bioethics and Evidence-Based Medicine at the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health, Director of the Eurasian Cooperation on Clinical Guidelines and Development of National Health Sergey Savashinsky said that at the upcoming meeting of the Advisory Board, the results of the activities of 2024 and the work plan for the next year of the Commission on Development of the Principles of Bioethics and Evidence-Based Medicine at the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health, the International Expert Academic Working Group on Development of National Evidence Bases in Public Health, Bioethics and Biosafety of the CIS Member Nations, including the creation of project offices in areas of cooperation in the Commonwealth countries, interaction with the WHO, international professional associations and non-governmental organizations.

The session was also attended by others prominent experts in the field of healthcare.