Kazakhstan removes drugs under 4,325 tenge from state price regulation

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Kazakhstan's Health Ministry has removed medicines priced below 4,325 tenge from state price regulation. The change cuts the number of regulated drug positions from 3,039 to 1,827. The ministry says the move aims to boost competition and expand access.
Key Facts
- Medicines priced up to 1 MCI, or 4,325 tenge, are removed from state price regulation.
- The number of regulated drug positions falls from 3,039 to 1,827.
- Health Ministry Order No. 105 of September 4, 2026, amends the list of price-regulated medicines.
- Over 1,200 drug names will shift to market-based pricing.
- The Health Ministry and the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition are developing price monitoring using the labeling and traceability system.
Regulatory Change
Kazakhstan's Health Ministry has removed medicines priced up to 1 MCI, or 4,325 tenge, from state price regulation. The change was introduced by Health Ministry Order No. 105 dated September 4, 2026. The updated list cuts the number of regulated positions from 3,039 to 1,827. More than 1,200 drug names will now have prices formed by market mechanisms.
Market Impact
Market participants will be able to set prices for these inexpensive drugs based on supply and demand. The ministry says the measure aims to develop competition, expand the assortment, and improve access for the population. Regulation will become more targeted, focusing on drugs whose availability requires additional state protection.
Price Monitoring
The transition to market pricing will be accompanied by strengthened monitoring of the pharmaceutical market. The Health Ministry and the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition are working on price control mechanisms. These mechanisms include the use of the information system for labeling and traceability of goods. Digital tools allow tracking the movement of medicines and analyzing actual prices at different stages of circulation.