The possibilities for the implementation of measures facilitating and (or) stimulating parallel import of medicinal products in Lithuania

Parallel import creates a price competition for the medicinal products that are being put on the market by a marketing authorization holder and helps to increase savings in pharmaceutical expenditure for public health care payers (the state) and patients. The goal of this article is to analyze the legal prerequisites which may facilitate and (or) stimulate the parallel trade in Lithuania. The article concludes, that Lithuanian law still creates challenges for parallel trade, as the EU law and CJEU jurisprudence is not being taken into account in current legislation. So, the smaller number of medicinal products is recognised as eligible for parallel trade. Secondly, current Lithuanian law uses no financial measures aimed to stimulate the parallel import. Thus, such measures, as obligatory quotas for parallel import medicinal products to be sold and bonus payments for pharmacists could be introduced into the legal system.