Kazakhstan has uncovered the sale of more than 26,000 packages of free medicines through pharmacy chains, with over 60 organizations held administratively liable, infohub.kz reports.
According to the government, the digital marking and traceability system tracks each package of medicine from manufacturer to patient and monitors drug supplies across the country.
"Thanks to digital control, the sale of more than 26,000 packages of free medicines through pharmacy chains has already been uncovered. Based on the identified cases, inspections were conducted at 106 medical organizations and pharmacies. More than 60 organizations have been held administratively liable, with total fines exceeding 20 million tenge. Preliminary damage is estimated at over 36 million tenge. The materials have been handed over to law enforcement agencies," said Bauyrzhan Jusipov, Chairman of the Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the Ministry of Health.
It is noted that since September of this year, digital marking has also been introduced for dietary supplements, and from 2027 it will be extended to medical devices.