Russians are struggling to afford medication

 09-Jun-16, The Moscow Times 

"Pharmacies have become like jewelry shops," complained a man during this year's annual phone-in with the Russian president. Vladimir Putin's response was to reassure the man that his government planned to control rising medicine prices. 

Image: Andrei Iglov / RIA Novosti

Basic health care is becoming less accessible to ordinary Russians. Medicine sales have fallen for the first time in Russia since 2008: Analysts recorded a 10 percent drop in drug sales in the first quarter of this year. During a severe economic crisis, a growing number of Russians can no longer afford to buy medicine.

The figure is the latest indicator of falling living standards in Russia, and has alarmed some experts, who say that medicine is the last commodity for people to cut back on. 

 Read the full article 

 Insights