Yabloko has submitted an initiative to the Legislative Assembly of Karelia that could solve the problem of the absence of pharmacies in remote villages
Press Release, 2.10.2023
Photo by Alexander Miridonov, Kommersant
The Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of Karelia has introduced to the regional parliament an initiative facilitating access to medicines for rural residents in remote villages that do not have pharmacies. Deputies Emilia Slabunova and Inna Boluchevskaya proposed to enshrine the concept of “mobile pharmacy” in the Federal Law “On the Circulation of Medicines” and give pharmacy organisations the right to organise such mobile pharmacies that will provide the population of remote villages with medicines.
Deputies from Yabloko explain that today retail trade in medicines is permitted in outpatient clinics and first aid stations (FAPs) provided they have a licence for pharmaceutical activities. But not all settlements have FAPs; medical care is provided by mobile brigades of doctors, and health workers cannot sell medicines at retail.
Internet commerce does not solve the problem of access to medicines. Yabloko MPs note that there live mainly elderly citizens in such remote areasm and they are not able to buy medicines via the Internet; moreover Internet connection in remote villages is unstable. In addition, there are legal restrictions on the range of medications that can be purchased remotely.
According to Emilia Slabunova and Inna Boluchevskaya, introduction of the concept of a “mobile pharmacy” into the federal legislation can help change the situation with access to medicines in remote villages. Deputies note that the problem is relevant for many regions of the RF, and in particular, the northern and eastern regions, where there are hard-to-reach areas with a small number of residents.
Previously, deputies from Yabloko sent an appeal to the parliaments of ten regions of Russia with a request to evaluate such an initiative and received positive feedback from all, namely the Arkhangelsk region, the Magadan region, the Murmansk region, the Novgorod region, the Pskov region, the Sakhalin regios, the Komi Republic, the Kamchatka Territory, the Altai Territory, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Slabunova and Boluchevskaya hope that the Legislative Assembly of Karelia will support their bill, and the initiative solving the problem of access to medicines in remote areas of all regions of Russia will be considered in the State Duma.
Posted: October 3rd, 2023 under Economy, Healthcare, Russian Economy, Social Policies, The Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of Karelia, Yabloko's Regional Branches.