Picture of the day: digest of the main news from August 21, 2025

Main

#1 The Russian Ministry of Health has adjusted the bill with amendments to No. 61-FZ "On the circulation of medicines", submitted in October 2024. For the first time, the agency has indicated the amount of costs for participants in the circulation of medicines to ensure the proposed amendments. If the initiative is approved, market operators will have to allocate 5.2 billion rubles for its implementation over six years. The degree of regulatory impact of the project has also been changed from medium to high and the planned date of entry into force of the document has been shifted from March 1, 2025 to the same date in 2026. As in the previous version of the draft, it is now proposed to supplement the law with a clause establishing the specifics of licensing pharmaceutical activities in the retail sale of drugs.

#2 The Ministry of Health has changed the standard contract for financial support of compulsory medical insurance - an agreement concluded by an insurance medical organization with a territorial compulsory medical insurance fund for work in a specific region. The document, in accordance with the updated No. 326-FZ "On Compulsory Medical Insurance", from September 1, 2025, tightens the procedure for monitoring the work of the insurance medical organization, increases the list of insurer's responsibilities and sanctions for failure to fulfill them. In particular, the regulation will include a fine for violating the procedure for information support of insured persons, and the share of patients notified of the possibility of undergoing a preventive examination will also be more carefully verified.

Artificial intelligence

The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation presented a draft Concept for the development of regulation of relations in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies until 2030, developed by the department jointly with the Alliance in the field of AI. The document outlines the key factors influencing the development and implementation of AI solutions in various industries, as well as the principles that will help in regulating this area. The project is currently undergoing expert discussion, after which it will be sent for interdepartmental approval.

Medical products market

The Russian Ministry of Health will include a requirement for medical equipment servicing in the standard contract for medical evacuation services using air ambulances. The amendments assume that the customers of the work from regional health ministries and the air ambulance operator must, before the start of the contract, determine the service provider for the maintenance of medical equipment used on board. In addition, clinics will be able, if necessary, to use additional medical devices on aircraft that are not included in the standard equipment of medical modules.

Organization of medical care

The Ministry of Health and the Russian Academy of Sciences have approved a joint order amending the list of clinics with the right to collect, procure and transplant internal organs. The list of regional medical institutions with the right to transplant only has changed slightly. The list of clinics with the right to collect and procure human organs and (or) tissues has been expanded to include Togliatti City Clinical Hospital No. 2 named after V.V. Banykin (Samara Region), Mordovian Republican Central Clinical Hospital, Severodvinsk City Clinical Hospital No. 2 (Arkhangelsk Region), Novosibirsk Clinical Blood Center, Orenburg Regional Clinical Center for Surgery and Traumatology and Rostov Regional Clinical Hospital. City Clinical Hospital No. 1 of Orenburg and the Orenburg Regional Clinical Blood Transfusion Station have been excluded from the list.

Career

The first vice-rector Vladimir Bolotskikh has become the acting rector of the Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko. He will lead the medical school until the elections scheduled for the fall. Igor Yesaulenko, who held the position since 2000, died on August 19. He was 69 years old. A total of six candidates for the post of rector have been approved for the upcoming elections, including Vladimir Bolotskikh.

Infrastructure

Major repairs will be carried out at City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov and City Clinical Hospital named after M.P. Konchalovsky in Zelenograd for 10.1 billion rubles. The relevant tenders were placed by the Directorate for the Development of Moscow Healthcare Facilities. 8.595 billion rubles will be allocated for the work at the first facility (built in 1917), and 1.57 billion rubles for the second (built in 1966). Financing will be provided from the city budget. The modernization will take 984 and 704 calendar days, respectively.

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Yandex Launches Pharmacies Service for Ordering and Comparing Medicine Costs

Sales of dietary supplements to enhance male fertility increased by 16.7% in Russia

Masimo Sues US Customs After Approving Apple Watch Imports

Scientists Grow Miniature Human Kidneys From Stem Cells in Test Tubes for the First Time