The Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices will be turned into a public authority with financial autonomy, IPN reports, quoting a draft decision proposed by the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry, which manages the Agency, specifies that now the direct and indirect costs incurred by the Agency are fully covered with the collected revenues.

It should be noted that a body responsible for the centralized purchase of medicines and medical devices for health facilities was recently set up. Thus, these duties will no longer be carried out by the Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices.

The Agency earns money from providing services for money, such as certification of national and imported medicines and medical devices. It examines medication errors and cases of irrational or abusive use of drugs, works out guidebooks for medicines, carries out inspections, including surprise ones, at pharmaceutical companies.