The Forum was inaugurated by Vladislav Shestakov, Director of the State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, “Our objective now is to consolidate our joint endeavours to surmount the crisis that has arisen. The Forum is a perfect platform for building not only an inter-institutional dialogue but also a dialogue between the business and the government. It was the idea that formed the basis of the renewed concept of the Forum and gave it a new name, i.e. Nikolai Alexandrovich Semashko Russian Pharmaceutical Forum.”

The floor then was given to Oleg Ergashev, Vice Governor (Health care and Social Policy) of St. Petersburg, “Drug safety is our priority in today’s economic situation. St. Petersburg is a crucial cluster for the manufacture of medicinal products. 37% of the 800 vital and essential drugs are produced in St. Petersburg. And in the days ahead, we have to think about those foreign drugs to be replaced”.

Kirill Soloveichik, Chairman of the Committee for Industrial Policy, Innovations, and Trade of Saint Petersburg, joined the Forum, too. In his address, he noted that a working group was planned to be created, at the earliest possible time, for developing a drug safety policy in St. Petersburg, “We manufacture 427 International Non-proprietary Names, out of which 200 are included in the vital and essential drugs list. 152 items are to be substituted. We have all the tools for ramping up production. These include a special economic zone, tax concessions, and a scheme for the intended land grant”.

“We all are in the same boat – manufacturers of drugs and medical devices, suppliers of the APIs and consumables for medical equipment, distributors and logistics companies, as well as pharmacies. Our task is to hold an open dialogue”, Vladislav Shestakov, Director, FBI “State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices”, Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, highlighted in his speech. In which he was supported by the co-moderator of the meeting, Executive Director of the Union of Professional Pharmaceutical Organizations, Lilia Titova, and Head of the Expert Council on the Circulation of Medicines and Medical Products of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, Alexander Petrov.

“Trust of our citizens is a pivotal vector of our movement. Only through the continuous interaction and information exchange among all the stakeholders, we will be able to build a trust-based relationship with each and every patient and partner of ours,” Alexander Petrov emphasised.