Since the notorious law replacing benefits with financial compensation came into force in 2005, many cheap prescription drugs, or drugs intended for free distribution among war veterans and disabled people, have almost disappeared from drugstores.
"We will analyze the situation in certain regions in the near future and prepare proposals to sack heads of regional health authorities that have failed to implement the program to distribute additional prescription drugs," Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail Zurabov said.
Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov announced earlier in the day that Ramil Khabriyev, head of the Federal Agency for the Oversight of Public Health and Social Affairs, a health watchdog accountable to the ministry, had been dismissed over the deficit of prescription drugs.
In late February, President Vladimir Putin said he was unhappy with the prescription drug situation and demanded that the drug deficit be covered, adding that the problems could and should have been foreseen.
Pro-presidential faction United Russia said Monday it will demand that Zurabov be dismissed unless he submits proposals to rectify the situation by March 20.
