Sofia plans to remove mandatory rebates for generic drug manufacturers after a record 430 medicines were withdrawn from the market in 2025
Bulgaria is seeking to preserve pharmaceutical companies’ interest in importing and marketing medicines in the country by scrapping mandatory rebates imposed on generic drug manufacturers, as Sofia attempts to reverse a worsening shortage of medicines affecting thousands of patients.
The policy shift comes after a record number of medicines disappeared from the Bulgarian market in 2025.
According to official data, 430 medicinal products were either temporarily or permanently withdrawn from sale during the year, affecting treatments for cancer, high cholesterol, mental health conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and cardiovascular diseases.
The growing number of withdrawals has left many Bulgarian patients struggling to obtain prescribed treatments, forcing some to search for medicines abroad, particularly in neighbouring Greece and Turkey. The figure marks a sharp increase compared with previous years, when the number of discontinued products was roughly half the current level.
