Protective masks worth BGN 26 500 are donated by the Bulgarian Medicines Verification Organisation (BGMVO) to the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union. This decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of the BgMVO’s Managing board.
“We express our support to the efforts of master pharmacists and assistant pharmacists, who are also on the front line of the healthcare system in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 infection together with doctors and medical professionals. In an epidemic situation, their work is even more stressful and responsible and we are sympathetic to their efforts to contain the crisis,” the BgMVO donation decision reads.
As an expression of its support and cooperation, the BgMVO’s Managing Board approved a donation to the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union of 10 000 reusable masks with a high level of protection according to the European standard FFP3.
The donation was implemented with the support of all members of the Association: the Association of the Research-Based Pharmaceutical Manafacturers in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, the Bulgarian Association for Medicines Parallel Trade Development, the Bulgarian Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers of Medicines and the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union.
In the complicated global environment of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in cybercrime and the spread of counterfeit medicines. In just one week, according to the European Commission and Europol, more than 4.4 million packages of falsified medicines were seized worldwide and 2 500 links were removed from the internet, including for illegal online sales of medicines, disinfectants and more. A safeguard against this serious risk is the European Medicines Verification System, in which all EU Member States have been included since February 2019. Bulgaria is one of the first European countries where the National Medicines Verification System is operational. It has been operating successfully for the second year with the active participation of pharmacists, who are also professionally involved in the fight against the spread of counterfeit medicines.
BgMVO continues its active cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the Bulgarian Drug Agency, pharmacists and other actors in the medicines supply chain to ensure access of Bulgarian patients to medicines of guaranteed origin.
Earlier this week BgMVO provided in-kind donations to the Ministry of Health in the amount of BGN 106 500. The Association expresses its gratitude to the suppliers of all donations who provided preferential and co- donation prices and fast delivery.