In connection with the economic restrictions that have been introduced against the Russian Federation, the Federal Law allows until December 31, 2022, for the import to and circulation in the Russian Federation of registered medications which are packaged for circulation in foreign countries on condition that the imported medications comply with the requirements set for their registration. The circulated medications must also have a sticker on the packaging with Russian-language information about the medication.
Amendments also cover deadlines for shipping medications for medical use requested by pharmaceutic organisations. The deadlines will be set by the Russian Ministry of Healthcare. In addition, the Federal Law states that the medical items’ producers or importers to the Russian Federation must give at least a six months’ advance notice to the authorised federal agency if they plan to suspend or stop producing or importing the medications.
The Federal Law also stipulates that the Government of the Russian Federation is entitled to take decisions in 2022 and 2023 regarding the organisation of healthcare provision to Russian citizens, foreign nationals and stateless persons.
The provisions are primarily targeting the issues of providing medical aid (including by mobile teams made up of the staff of medical institutions subordinate to the federal authorities) on the borderline territories of the Russian Federation, the arrival point for residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and stateless persons who were forced to leave their places of permanent residence.
In addition, the Federal Law simplifies medication purchasing procedures in 2022 and 2023 by broadening opportunities for the companies that provide medications to the population to select suppliers of the above goods.