Changes to the Drug Law in 2014, brought about serious damages to the Albanian pharmaceutical market that are still being felt to this day. Euronews Albania’s weekly investigative show – ‘Unpublished’ – delved into this phenomenon, its significance and all the ramifications that come with it.

One of the most recognizable features of the pharmaceutical sector in Albania, is the presence in our markets, of large quantities of smuggled and counterfeited drugs. Experts seem to all agree however, that the main reason for this, is the lack of brand names in the local market.

Different types of medicines are entering our country illegally – not for the seemingly obvious reason of dodging taxes – but rather, because analog brands haven’t received clearance and therefore aren’t included in the list of verified and acceptable medicaments. This can be easily verified by obtaining the lists found at the Durres Customs.

The brand names currently found in Albanian pharmacies aren’t produced in countries of the western world, but come from the region. Unpublished reached out to government agencies, responsible for the sector, who unfortunately confirmed some of the concerns brought up by our experts.

The head of the Order of Pharmacists, Diana Toma and former health minister, Petrit Vasili, see eye to eye when simultaneously supporting and condemning the lack of name brands in our country.

In a way, they support the ‘necessary evil’ of contraband drugs, because at this time they seem to be the only choice for citizens who can’t find treatment from what is currently available in our market.

According to experts, the main reason for this phenomenon is the changes applied to the law on drugs back in 2014, which was approved by the health minister at the time, Ilir Beqja.

These amendments took away several clauses from the existing law, which used to mandate all drugs to undergo testing in an EU member state before entering our market. What came after, wasn’t only negative for society at large, but it also led to almost the entire sum of patented EU companies that operated in our country, to leave our market altogether.

“Considering the fact that back in 2013, we used to have a myriad of medicaments in our market, at least 3800 brands, the drastic decline of this figure followed by the departure of big companies from our country, is absolutely fatal because you are very well aware that the lack of quality medicine is a massive setback for all of us,” – said former minister of health, Petrit Vasili.

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