Analysts commented on the availability of subsidized medications in Dagestan.

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The situation with access to subsidized medications in Dagestan is gradually improving, but complaints continue to come in. Medications are either not being imported, or are being imported in small quantities.

The human rights project "Patient Monitor and Housing and Utilities" reported on March 16 about a violation of a Dagestan resident's rights to medication.

Kurban has diabetes insipidus and, as prescribed by doctors, requires three packages of Minirin per month. In 2019, he was given only one package, and then was forced to buy expired medication at the pharmacy. The project's lawyers filed complaints, and now Kurban receives 36 packages per year.

The situation with the distribution of free medications to chronically ill patients in Dagestan was commented on March 24 by Milrad Fatullaev, editor-in-chief of RIA Derbent, Ziyavudin Uvaisov, head of the human rights organization "Patient and Housing and Utilities Monitor," and Alexander Saversky, president of the "Patient Defense League."

Such cases are not isolated, noted Milrad Fatullaev. "According to patients, shortages in subsidized pharmacies occur in two cases: either the medications weren't delivered and patients are advised to wait, or the medications were delivered, but there isn't enough for everyone. And that's where chance comes into play. In the first case, the patient was quick: he brought his prescription on time and it was filled—the limit per person is three packages. In the second case, he didn't make it, and while he was bringing the prescription, someone else got ahead of him and took it. "Expect the next case. But it's also worth noting that if the patient is considered a regional patient, they will be issued medications on a residual basis, or if the patient has already registered as disabled and acquired federal funding status, then the chances of receiving medications are higher," he said.

Although the situation with medication allocation is better than in previous years, "Patient and Housing and Utilities Monitor" receives dozens of requests a year, said Ziyavudin Uvaisov. "The situation is improving, but it still can't be called normal. Every year, we receive dozens of requests from people who are not receiving medications in Dagestan. There could be various reasons for this – lack of funding, procurement issues, logistical problems," he emphasized.

The number of cases where people with chronic diseases are not receiving the medications they need continues to decrease across the country, confirmed Alexander Saversky. "The main problem now is the substitution of medications in government procurement for others that patients are afraid to take. These medications simply disappear from the list. This creates a paradoxical situation: the government spends money, confident that it's helping patients, but at the same time, people spend their own money on medications. According to the Movement Against Cancer, 45% of cancer patients do this. Our surveys show an even higher figure – up to 60% are forced to buy medications themselves because they don't trust the drugs purchased by the state," he noted.

Earlier, "Caucasian Knot" reported that on March 13, the "Patient and Housing and Utilities Monitor" project helped two disabled brothers from Dagestan suffering from spinal muscular atrophy obtain expensive medications.