Parallel Trade Dogs Turkey’s Pharma Import Efforts
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
While looking at eliminating the Union of Turkish Pharmacists’ monopoly on importing drugs for individual patients, the government has run up against the problem of parallel trade. Companies newly licensed for drug imports are reselling products to other countries (mainly in Europe), and since Turkey has some of the lowest drug prices in Europe, the difference can generate high revenues. Exports of certain products have now been banned to prevent market shortages.