How Kazakhstan Buys Medicines Through Its State Operator

Nurlybek Asylbekov, chairman of the board of SK-Pharmacy LLP, spoke at an off-site meeting of the Mazhilis Committee on Social and Cultural Development about the mechanisms the company uses to purchase medicines and medical products, and how much money they have saved, Orda.kz reports.

According to him, SK-Pharmacy uses four main procurement methods. The first is long-term contracts with Kazakhstani manufacturers.

The second method is requesting price offers from Kazakhstani and foreign manufacturers. In this case, purchases are made directly from the manufacturer at the lowest price and without intermediary markups. As Asylbekov noted, this allows even foreign manufacturers without a representative office in Kazakhstan to take part in procurement.

We are actively working through UN-established organizations such as UNICEF, UNDP, and STOP-TB. This gives us access to high-quality and inexpensive medicines through global procurement,Asylbekov said.

The fourth method is tenders with auctions to reduce prices.

Asylbekov said these mechanisms help save budget funds. In 2023, SK-Pharmacy saved 21.5 billion tenge, followed by 53.2 billion tenge in 2024 and 85.5 billion tenge in 2025.

In the first three months of 2026, according to SK-Pharmacy, savings have already reached 50 billion tenge. The money was allocated to purchasing an irreducible stock of medicines.

Original author: Ilya Astakhov

Read also:

• Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry Admits Medicine Supply Disruptions
• Doctors in Kazakhstan Will Bear Responsibility for AI Errors in Medicine
• Billions in Pharma, but Still Dependent on Imports: How Long Will Kazakhstan Keep Buying Medicines From Abroad?