Kosovo says it will start fixing the price of medicines, bringing the cost to Kosovars into line with that of their neighbours in North Macedonia and Albania.
The government says it will be fairer on consumers and crack down on smuggling, but there are concerns about the effect on competition.
“With the unified system, no matter where you buy a drug, in the villages or cities, the price will be the same,” Health Minister Uran Ismaili said on Monday.
Valon Prestreshi, head of the Kosovo Competition Authority, however, said authorities may face problems in compiling lists of medicines subject to price-fixing.
“The way the ministry defines what ‘over the counter’ is, does not comply with EU legislation”, Pretreshi told BIRN.
“In the directive this is not defined, leaving space for manipulation and the possibility of including some over-the-counter drugs in the list of fixed prices.”
