site.btaHealth Ministry Signs Two-Year Framework Deal for Hospital Medicines

A two-year framework agreement for the supply of medicines to hospitals has been signed, the Health Ministry said in a press release on Friday.

Thus, patients with oncological and oncohaematological diseases will have access to modern therapies, the Ministry said. The procedure for supplying essential medicines used in hospital care and fully covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has been successfully completed. Sixteen pharmaceutical wholesalers submitted 55 bids for 236 drug groups listed by their international non-proprietary names. The procedure, valued at BGN 2.555 billion excluding VAT, was launched in September 2024 under the Public Procurement Act but was delayed due to appeals before the Commission for Protection of Competition and the Supreme Administrative Court.

By conducting a centralized electronic auction, hospitals will benefit from long-term predictability, while patients’ treatment will be guaranteed, the Ministry said. The NHIF will also achieve significant cost savings through lower prices resulting from pooled volumes and the competitive environment created for suppliers. Administrative burdens will be reduced as well, since the process of awarding specific orders within the agreed framework will be faster, eliminating the need for repeated tenders. The new system will ensure transparency and efficiency in the supply of these medicines while preventing unfair practices, the Ministry further said.