Regulatory Reform
08/11/2018
TGS Baltic / Lithuania
Regulatory reform in Lithuania – a comprehensive legal overview. Prepared in association with TGS Baltic, a leading law firm in Lithuania, this is an extract from The Pharma Legal Handbook: Baltics, available to purchase here for USD 99.
1. Are there proposals for reform or significant change to the healthcare system?
Yes, there are proposals for reforms in the healthcare system.
At this moment, the following initiatives are being considered:
- allowing the sale of prescription medicinal products online;
- allowing the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) medicinal products in retail shops, filling stations, etc. At present, all medicinal products can be sold to the public only in pharmacies (homeopathic, herbal, and OTC medicinal products may also be sold by online pharmacies);
- limiting the number of one chain pharmacies;
- banning the advertising of pharmacies.
2. When are they likely to come into force?
The initiatives described in items (i) and (ii) above are now in the last stage of approval by the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania. It is most likely that these initiatives will come into force in late 2018, or early 2019.
It is not yet clear whether the initiatives described in items (iii) and (iv) above would be approved by the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.
