Ministry of Health to be responsible for advertising of medicines and dietary supplements 

On January 23, Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved new measures to regulate the pharmaceutical industry. The presidential decree was published in the Lex.uz database.

The steps outlined in the document are designed to improve quality assurance of medicines, medical equipment and other products. The Ministry of Health will be responsible for providing Uzbek citizens with safe pharmaceutical products.

From July 1, manufacturers, distributors, as well as retailers of medicines and medical supplies are considered responsible for supplying the population with products of guaranteed quality, safety and effectiveness. They will be subject to special state control rules.

For these companies, a procedure will be introduced to monitor compliance with licensing requirements through a notification procedure no more than once a year. The exception will be inspections based on requests from individuals and legal entities.

Wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products will be required to obtain GDP certificates by July 1. From the beginning of 2025, having a GPP certificate will become mandatory for chain pharmacies, and from 2026 – for all pharmacies.

New bonded and free warehouses for storing pharmaceutical products should be constructed according to Good Storage Practices (GSP). From January 1, 2026, it will be prohibited to store medicines in warehouses that do not have a certificate of compliance with the standard.

It is planned to introduce good supervision practices in pharmaceuticals (GVP) in the republic. The Ministry of Health has been instructed to launch the Pharmacovigilance electronic system to collect and analyze data on the side effects of drugs from all levels of the healthcare system.

In addition, advertising of medicines and dietary supplements on television and its playback on radio will be carried out only on the basis of the conclusion of the Ministry of Health.