“We have decided to completely prohibit the implementation of substitution therapy programs by private entities,” Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced at today’s briefing.

According to the head of government, there is a well-founded suspicion in society that services provided by private companies often aim not at curing patients, but at legally supplying them with narcotic substances.

“As is well known, substitution therapy uses preparations such as ‘methadone’ and ‘buprenorphine.’ There is a well-founded suspicion in society that services provided by private companies often aim not at curing patients, but at legally supplying them with narcotic substances.

In circumstances where private companies have a direct commercial incentive to maximize the sale of medications, it is natural that their focus may shift from patient care to sales objectives. Such practices must be thoroughly prevented. Therefore, we have decided to entirely ban private entities from implementing substitution therapy programs,” declared the Prime Minister.

According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the state must take full responsibility for implementing substitution treatment, which belongs to the category of high-risk medical activities.

As Kobakhidze noted, the state, through its institutions, ensures the establishment of unified standards in the treatment process.

“Control over the implementation of state substitution therapy programs will be intensified to ensure that every service is strictly focused on facilitating the patient’s swift recovery and is not exploited to promote so-called legal drug addiction. Additionally, I have instructed Georgia’s Minister of Health to expedite the relocation of infrastructure designated for substitution therapy away from densely populated areas. Currently, a significant portion of this infrastructure is situated in such areas, leading to justified concerns and dissatisfaction among local residents,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.

The Prime Minister went on to say that “even a basic analysis shows that, today in Georgia, the consumption of psychotropic medications—especially benzodiazepines—far exceeds what is considered reasonable.”

“This heightens society’s legitimate concerns that these medications are being widely misused for narcotic purposes,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.

According to the Prime Minister, to prevent the non-medical and narcotic misuse of psychotropic drugs, the importation of these medications by private companies will be entirely prohibited.

“Today in Georgia, psychotropic medications are imported by private entities, which creates a direct interest in artificially increasing their consumption. To prevent such practices, the import of psychotropic medications by private companies will be completely banned. The exclusive authority for importing and selling controlled medicinal substances will rest with the state. Additionally, strict oversight will be implemented over the prescribing practices and the dispensing of medications. We will continuously monitor usage statistics of psychotropic drugs, and a significant decline in these figures will serve as a clear indicator that the state has successfully curbed the inappropriate use of psychotropic medications,” stated Irakli Kobakhidze.