Kazakhstan: free medicines to reach clinics from January 5 under 2027 procurement

SK-Pharmacy LLP has announced when free medicines should reach medical facilities in Kazakhstan in the new year, the Ministry of Health reported. At a regular meeting of the Public Council, Acting Chairman of the Board Nikolai Palinka presented the results of the Single Distributor, the progress of medicine and medical device procurement, and key priorities for further development.

According to Palinka, the system now covers more than 2,000 drug names for 1,875 medical organizations, meeting the needs of over 2 million patients. Direct contracts with domestic and foreign manufacturers, along with cooperation with UN organizations, produced budget savings of more than 195 billion tenge over 2024-2026, including 70 billion tenge for 2026 procurement. Prices for 66 medicines from Kazakh manufacturers were also reduced.

Procurement for 2027, worth 662.1 billion tenge, is under way and began three months earlier than planned. Medicines will be delivered to warehouses in December, with shipments to medical organizations starting January 5. The meeting also noted that domestic producers now account for 35% of purchases, and that centralised procurement of medical equipment reduced prices by 30%.