Deputies have proposed introducing certificates for the purchase of drugs from the Vital and Essential Drugs list for low-income individuals.

Changes are planned to be made to Federal Law No. 178 of July 17, 1999 “On State Social Assistance.”

According to the bill, the certificate will be available to people who are not entitled to free or subsidized medications and whose per capita income is below the subsistence level.

The certificate's value is proposed to be set at 25% of the per capita subsistence minimum for Russia as a whole. The funds received can be used to purchase medications from the Vital and Essential Drugs list at pharmacies that have signed agreements with regional authorities.

According to the explanatory note to the draft law, the mechanism will be funded through subsidies from the federal budget, and authority to designate and issue certificates will be transferred to the regions. The rules for granting, the list of documents, and the application process for the certificate will be approved by the authorized federal body.

The bill's authors note that the measure is aimed at increasing access to medications for socially vulnerable groups. The explanatory note clarifies that in 2024, medication prices increased by 10%, while the average pharmacy bill, according to customer estimates, increased by 20-30%.

In April 2024, deputies from the A Just Russia faction proposed a similar initiative. At the time, they planned to introduce a "Help" social card for citizens in difficult life situations. The idea was that this card would allow people to purchase essential goods, including food, medicine, and medical supplies. The bill was rejected in its first reading in October 2024.