Audit Chamber of Kazakhstan reveals medication supply failures, forcing patients to pay out of pocketAn audit of the pharmaceutical sector in Kazakhstan has uncovered widespread irregularities in the delivery of medications to hospitals, disrupting treatment and forcing patients to buy their own drugs, according to the Supreme Audit Chamber.“Delays in contracts and supply schedules have compromised patient care. Between 2022 and 2024, the centralized distributor [SK-Pharmacy LLP] postponed purchases of 207 medications and failed to buy 164 others under the outpatient care program. Some drugs were delivered quarterly instead of monthly, causing their shortages and forcing the patients to pay out of pocket,” Alihan Smailov, chairman of the Supreme Audit Chamber, said at a Wednesday session of the Majilis, the lower house of parliament.The audit also found that only 9% of medications in 2024 were bought directly from manufacturers, while logistics costs surged by 60% over three years, reaching 11 billion tenge in 2024, which is a factor driving up drug prices.Additionally, auditors identified over 67,000 cases of near-expired medications being supplied, leading to waste and misuse of funds. Some hospitals prescribed drugs unnecessarily or outside approved treatment protocols.Smailov noted alarming price disparities, with the cost of 15 most expensive medications differing by up to 600% between state and private markets. He blamed illegal practices, including the diversion of free outpatient drugs into retail sales.“These findings expose critical failures in the control and distribution of medicines,” he said. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX