The new government faces mounting pressure to improve access to innovative therapies while addressing hospital debt
Bulgaria’s new government has pledged a comprehensive review of the national medicines policy to tackle what it called an “overregulated” pharmaceutical market.
Deputy Health Minister Petar Salchev has highlighted concerns about significant price disparities in the procurement of high-cost medicines that lack market authorisation in Bulgaria by state-owned hospitals. According to Salchev, excessive regulation of the Bulgarian pharmaceuticals market has contributed to systemic weaknesses and inefficiencies.
Low prices limit access
Bulgaria’s medicines market is relatively small, while government requirements that medicines be purchased at the lowest available prices within the EU have discouraged pharmaceutical companies from registering innovative therapies for legal sale in the country.
