Free Medications Increased from 312 to 450 Since 2018, Ministry of Health Reports

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia has announced that, regarding the allocation of free medications raised in the annual report of the Human Rights Defender for 2020, it has been confirmed that prior to 2018, 312 pharmaceutical substances were provided free of charge and on preferential terms in the outpatient-polyclinic sector, as part of the Republic of Armenia's basic list of medications. Following 2018, the number of medications has increased, reaching 450.

These medications are allocated to individuals listed in the social or special groups recognized by the Ministry of Health, either fully or partially reimbursed by the state. The list of beneficiaries has expanded by approximately 265,000 individuals since 2018, now including recipients with a social assessment score of 28.01 or higher (previously 30.01) and those affected by extraordinary situations or military actions by foreign states against the Republic of Armenia and/or the Republic of Artsakh.

Furthermore, it covers residents permanently living in the Republic of Artsakh who were displaced due to military actions or terrorist activities, and individuals injured during the war launched by the Republic of Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020, including both military personnel and non-conscripted participants (volunteers).

The financial resources allocated to this program totaled 800-900 million AMD before 2018, with the execution of the medication provision service by medical organizations reaching around 70%, which was affected by the limited variety of medications included in the basic list. Since 2018, this amount has increased to approximately 1 billion 300 million AMD, with current over-execution of the program estimated at about 15-20%.