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“The current legislation prohibits out-of-home advertising of pharmaceuticals, while other types of advertising are allowed,” the RA Deputy Minister of Economy Narek Teryan said, presenting the amendments proposed to the legislative package. According to him, there is no logic and justification for such a regulation, out-of-home advertising as a platform for presenting information covers a narrower scope than television advertising, which is permissible.

The RA Government also proposes to allow out-of-home advertising, which will ensure an equal competitive field in the advertising market of pharmaceuticals.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care Narek Zeynalan informed that self-medication is a serious problem, and that is why out-of-home advertising is prohibited in many countries. He noted that out-of-home advertising may be right from the point of view of the economy, but unacceptable from the point of view of the health system. He also proposed to prohibit the television advertising of pharmaceuticals and create equal competitive conditions.

In his speech, the Committee member Arsen Torosyan proposed not to endorse the draft law and to start restricting and completely eliminating the advertising of pharmaceuticals on the broadcast media, which will lighten the burden of the Ministry of Health.

As a result of the debate, the Deputy Minister of Economy Narek Teryan proposed to postpone the voting of the legislative package for up to two months in order to amend it. The Committee agreed to it.

The Committee debated in the second reading the draft law authored by the MPs Lusine Badalyan and Narek Zeynalyan on Making Addendum to the Law on Medical Aid and Service for Population. The Deputy Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Health Care Lusine Badalyan presented details about the draft law.

The key rapporteur presented the legislative initiative in detail.

The Deputy Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Health Care Lusine Badalyan informed that the Government presented a number of proposals, some of which were accepted.

The Deputy Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan noted that the medical workers can also receive credits through an online course without being absent, or by writing a scientific article.

As a result of the debate, the Committee gave a positive conclusion to the version proposed by the authors.