The Ministry of Health is constantly monitoring the situation with prescription issuance.

The Ministry of Health is keeping the situation with prescription drug issuance under constant control, as reported to BelTA correspondent by the department's chief therapist, Olga Marshalko.

The Ministry of Health is keeping the situation with prescription drug issuance under constant control, as reported to BelTA correspondent by the department's chief therapist, Olga Marshalko.

"The Ministry of Health keeps the situation with prescription issuance under constant control. Regular monitoring and surveys of the population on issues of drug supply and satisfaction with the organisation of medical care are conducted. The results show that the situation in this regard is stable," said Olga Marshalko. All healthcare organisations providing outpatient-polyclinic and inpatient medical care to the population are operating as usual, are supplied with a sufficient number of prescription forms of all types, and issue timely prescriptions for medicinal products based on medical indications.

Earlier, the Minister of Health told journalists that almost all pharmacies in Belarus comply with prescription dispensing requirements. "We are constantly monitoring the implementation of Resolution No. 66. Over 99% of pharmacies, both state-owned and private, comply with the requirements. This year, about 20 pharmacies have had their operations suspended for violating prescription dispensing rules," the minister said. In total, there are over 3,000 pharmacies in the country.

Resolution No. 66 of the Ministry of Health of September 9, 2014, which came into force on October 19, raised many questions among the public. As has been repeatedly emphasised, the document is aimed not at tightening the procedure for prescribing medicinal products, but at eliminating uncontrolled self-medication with drugs that should be prescribed by a doctor. According to this resolution, each medicinal product was to be prescribed on a separate form. However, a new order was later issued, which allowed doctors to prescribe two medications on one prescription.

News of Belarus (BelTA)