Since value-added tax is applied to medical drugs in Armenia, their prices are higher than, for example, in neighboring Georgia. The Minister of Health of Armenia, Anahit Avanesyan, stated this during a press conference Friday.

"Next, the fact that Armenia is a small market and the pricing policy of pharmaceutical companies in a given market differs from that of large markets. That is, there are a number of circumstances that contribute to the increase in the prices of some [medical] drugs [in Armenia]. But you have to look in general. We cannot consider the differences in the price of one medicine as the price differences of medicines," added Avanesyan.

 The minister of health of Armenia noted that within the framework of health insurance reform in the country, the mechanisms of medical drug buyers and price regulation will also affect drug prices.

"That is, [medical] drugs will be purchased at much more affordable and competitive prices [in Armenia]. And as a result, the state and citizens will pay less for drugs," explained Avanesyan.

As for the introduction of the full program of the offer, the Armenian minister of health said: "The organizations that submitted an application for the 2023 state funding automatically become parties to the offer contract. During these six months, we will also carry out a review of the offer contract. And at the end of the pilot program, we will introduce offer contract that was updated once again. This is not a new thing. Before this change, 50 percent of our services were provided within the framework of the offer; now it already has become 100 percent."