Uzbekistan Approves Legal Requirement to Prescribe Medicines Using International Nonproprietary Names

On July 1, 2020, an order of the Uzbek Minister of Health approved a new regulation requiring medical organizations to prescribe medicines using international nonproprietary names (INNs).

This requirement does not apply to persons entitled to preferential outpatient treatment or to prescriptions of medicines containing psychotropic, narcotic and toxic substances, their analogs, or precursors.

A new mandatory prescription procedure is currently being introduced in all medical institutions, regardless of their form of ownership. In the prescription, the international nonproprietary name of the medicine and its composition must be written in Latin, while the physician’s instructions regarding the method of use must be written in Uzbek or Russian.

It is forbidden for doctors to issue medical prescriptions if the patient has no medical indications. The following may also not be prescribed:

• Drugs which have not passed state registration in Uzbekistan (with the exception of orphan drugs);
• Medicinal products intended for use only in medical institutions, including drugs used as anesthetics.

The new regulation provides for a blank prescription form and specifies the procedure, including the main abbreviations to be used when writing prescriptions. Prescriptions that are not prepared in accordance with the requirements will be deemed invalid.

By: Gulnoza Abdurakhmonova

For more information, please contact uzbekistan@petosevic.com.