Bulgaria Extends Insulin Export Ban for Another Month to Secure Domestic Supply
Bulgaria’s Acting Minister of Health, Galya Kondeva, has issued a new order extending the ban on the export of insulin and other medications used to lower blood sugar
Bulgarians suffering from diabetes are planning to organize protests if the cost of insulin produced by Novo Nordisk is increased.
The claim has been made by Adrian Stoev, deputy chairman of the Bulgarian Association for Diabetes, in a radio appearance on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Dr. Albena Zlatareva, the deputy director of the Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) had announced that patients using Novo Nordisk medication would have to pay BGN 5 for it, despite the fact that the NHIF should fully cover the cost.
This, she explained, was because the price charged by Novo Nordisk was in excess of the legal limit set for payment by the NZOK. The company has refused to come to an agreement with the Bulgarian Health Ministry, and has tied the government hands, the former Health Minister, Evgeni Zhelev, said as early as May.
The company web site has posted advice to those affected. It recommends that they should consult their doctors to have another type of insulin prescribed for them.
Stoev explained how that kind of replacement of insulin supply would eventually affect them: "There is a difference in the same type of insulin products by different producers despite the fact that the experts do not outline it. The profile of action of each type of insulin causes certain aberrations which reflect on the patient."
"There is a rule that a good treatment should not be changed, because it inevitably affects the compensation process of diabetes. There is a great probability that, when changing the treatment, hospitalization may become necessary," he added.
When asked how this issue would be resolved, Adrian Stoev replied: "These are negotiations which are conducted between the [Heath] Ministry and the company, and nobody can say what the outcome will be."
It is estimated that, of the total Bulgarian population of 7,7 M, there are over 520 000 people suffering from diabetes.
Data from the National Statistical Institute for December 2024 show that Sofia-city maintains its position as the region with the highest average monthly salary in Bulgaria
Bulgaria's annual inflation rate rose to 3.7% in January 2025, reflecting an upward trend after months of slowdown
On February 15, the weather across the country will be mostly cloudy
February 14 in Bulgaria is a day of celebration, merging the love of wine with the spirit of romance
The Association "For Free Russia" in Bulgaria has appealed to the Sofia Municipal Council to rename a public space near the Russian Embassy in Sofia to "Alexei Navalny Square"
The future of nighttime public transport in Sofia remains uncertain after a proposal to significantly reduce night bus routes failed to pass a re-vote in the Sofia Municipal Council
Bulgaria's Perperikon: A European Counterpart to Peru's Machu Picchu
Bulgarians Among EU's Least Frequent Vacationers, Struggling with Affordability