BAKU, Sept. 30, 2025
Why are medicines available in Azerbaijan that cannot be found in the very countries listed as their producers?
It is a paradox many consumers have noticed, raising questions about authenticity, standards, and the logic of pharmaceutical markets.
Across local pharmacies, drugs labeled as originating from Germany, France, or Italy often appear on shelves even though searches on foreign websites – or in those countries’ markets – come up empty.
For many Azerbaijanis, this fuels suspicion. Some simply turn to cheaper generics, others prefer buying directly at pharmacies rather than online to ensure accountability.
Pharmacist Galib Mammadov says to KhazarTV, that the situation has straightforward explanations.
“The key issue is trademarks. Every drug exists in two forms: branded and generic. Branded medicines have the same name worldwide, while generics may carry different names depending on the country,” he explained.
Consumers, he added, often cannot find the same product abroad because they are looking for it under its local marketing name.
Regulatory systems also matter.
“Each country has its own registration standards. Some drugs do not meet requirements in one country but are fully licensed elsewhere. That is normal practice,” Mammadov said.
Commercial strategy plays a role too: companies often rebrand generics for specific markets to boost sales.
Medical expert Rasif Baghirov noted that such practices are common globally.
“There are cases where production continues exclusively for foreign markets even after sales end in the country of origin. For example, some Turkish factories produce medicines only for Azerbaijan. They are not available in Turkey, but they meet local standards here,” he said.
Specialists advise consumers to look beyond brand names and focus on active ingredients – the chemical components that determine a drug’s effectiveness.
