Former PM alleges Pashinyan government ties to drug trade, blames registration rules for high prices

Former Armenian Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's team may be involved in the pharmaceutical business, as he criticized drug registration rules that he said inflate medicine prices in Armenia compared with neighboring Georgia.

Speaking at a presentation of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan’s economic program, Bagratyan said Armenia’s higher drug prices stem from three main factors, chief among them the mandatory registration process for medicines sold in the country.

“In Armenia, medicines must be registered to be sold,” Bagratyan said, questioning why drugs such as Glucophage require local registration in a small market. He said registering a single medication costs between $8,000 and $10,000.

“We have long insisted that, except for medicines produced in Armenia, other drugs should not have to be registered here,” he said.

Bagratyan added that “the ruling regime and its leader could be involved in the drug business”.

According to Bagratyan, registration costs add 15% to 20% to the retail price of medicines. He proposed that drugs already registered in other countries should be automatically recognized as registered in Armenia.

He also called for the dissolution of the country’s drug testing institution, arguing that the current system unnecessarily increases costs for consumers.