Experts Discussed Progress of Work on Draft Model Law on Medical Supplies in CIS Member Nations

On 18 November, a meeting of the CIS Intergovernmental Commission for Standartization, Registration and Quality Control of Medicines, Medical Devices and Medical Equipment was held.

The event was chaired by Director of the Department of Drug Supply and Regulation of the Circulation of Medical Devices Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Elena Astapenko.

The meeting discussed the preparation of the draft Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations.

The discussion was attended by 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, and Professor of the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg State University, member of the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health Nelly Diveeva.

In her speech Evgenia Vladimirova informed the audience about the special expert sessions held in the CIS countries to discuss the draft Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations.

The first discussion session took place on 30 June 2023 in Minsk. During the event, experts analyzed the national legislations of the CIS countries.

The second session was held on 14 November 2023 in Bishkek. Within the framework of the public conference there was a discussion of the issues of value-based healthcare, including the definition of the patient as a subject of law and the definition of the functionality of the participants of the drug supply system in the interests of the patient.

The third session was held in Astana on 30 May 2024. The participants discussed the need to develop model methodological recommendations on the formation of agreed principles and approaches in the creation and maintenance of patient registers in the region.

Active preparation for the fourth and final expert session to be held on 28 November 2024 in Tashkent on “Effectiveness and availability of medicines: from technology and evidence base to the patient”. The draft Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations will be presented at the event.  Due to the special social and economic importance of this document, representatives of the parliaments of the CIS countries, the IPA CIS Expert Advisory Board on Public Health, sectoral international organizations and the academia are invited to participate in the session.

Nelly Diveeva outlined the main provisions of the draft Model Law in her report. The main emphasis is placed on the need to establish state guarantees of access to medicines for every citizen.

In addition, great attention is paid to the basics of rational use of medicines. She expressed interest in expert cooperation with the Ministries of Health of the CIS countries in the preparation of the Model Law.

The participants of the meeting also considered the issues of implementation of instructions of the CIS Advisory Board on Cooperation in the Field of Public Health on updating the Agreement on Cooperation in Combating the Circulation of Falsified Medicines (14 November 2008) and the Agreement on Provision of the Population with Medicines, Vaccines and Other Immunobiological Preparations, Medical Devices and Medical Equipment Produced in the Territory of the CIS Member States (24 December 1993).

The next meeting will consider the issue on Inventory of the Contractual Legal Framework in the Sphere of Circulation of Medicines, Medical Devices and Medical Equipment adopted within the CIS.

In March 2025 the work on the draft Model Law on Medical Supplies in the CIS Member Nations within the framework of the Commission will be continued.