A new mobile application MedicinePrice, which will provide citizens with access to up-to-date information on drug prices in Bulgaria in both Bulgarian leva and euros, was presented at the Ministry of Health.
The Minister of Health Silvi Kirilov indicated that the MedicinePrice application is a project developed together with the National Council for Prices and Reimbursement. The application is free and will enable every citizen to access up-to-date information on the prices of drugs in Bulgaria, which are paid by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), as well as those that are on the free market. Kirilov pointed out that its creation is part of the preparation for our country's accession to the eurozone from January 1, 2026 and a measure has been adopted to guarantee transparency and stability in the pharmaceutical supply sector.
Minister Kirilov said that he wants to address several main concerns of people related to the adoption of the euro - the prices of medicines will not change due to the introduction of the euro itself. All values will be calculated at the fixed exchange rate. The minister also said that in the application, citizens will see prices both in leva and in euros. Kirilov pointed out that full transparency and strict control are being ensured to prevent illegal practices. Regulators will ensure that speculation or rounding leading to unjustified price increases is not allowed, he specified.
On August 8, 2025, the National Council for Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products, as a state institution directly responsible for the price regulation of medicinal products in Bulgaria, successfully adapted the maintained public registers, announcing the prices of medicinal products in euros, said Maria Vasileva, a member of the National Council for Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products. She added that the price adaptation was made ahead of schedule.
"I would like to emphasize that the currency conversion of medicinal product prices was carried out in accordance with the rules for currency conversion and rounding and will not lead to a change in the current state-regulated prices, Vasileva also said. She specified that the mobile application was developed based on the public registers and is completely free. The mobile application uses real-time current data on medicinal products and, accordingly, on the regulated selling prices of medicinal products," she added.
Searching for a medicinal product in the mobile application can be done in several ways, Vasileva explained. One way is by trade name, another way is by international non-proprietary name, and for medicinal products that are included in the positive medicinal list, there is an option to search by scanning the barcode on the packaging, using the camera of the mobile device, she specified.
In addition to the prices of medicinal products, the mobile application can also provide information on whether a given medicinal product is prescription or non-prescription. We can also find out whether a given medicinal product is paid for by the NHIF.
The expert also pointed out that the mobile application is also useful for medical specialists, for doctors when prescribing medicinal products, and for pharmacists - when dispensing them. Vasileva specified that the prices in the registers are limit, respectively maximum prices, above which a given medicinal product cannot be sold on the territory of Bulgaria. The final selling price in the pharmacy network may differ from this price as a result of the existence of different commercial relationships, she added.