Joint Procurement of Medicinal Products as a Tool for Enhancing the Efficiency of Budget Expenditures

In the context of the increasing role of the state in the economy and growing demands for the efficiency of budget spending, procurement of goods, works, and services using budgetary funds plays a key role in implementing socio-economic policies. They are particularly significant in healthcare, where the scale and social importance of procurement directly impact the accessibility and quality of medical care. In this context, joint procurements, as a mechanism for aggregating demand from multiple buyers, are considered a way to enhance transparency, save budgetary funds, and optimize the contracting system. Based on data from the Unified Information System for Procurement (ЕИС), the article analyzes the practice of joint procurements of pharmaceuticals. The study reveals a consistent increase in the number of such procurements: between 2017 and 2024, their quantity increased by more than 2,5 times. Analysis shows that budget savings from joint procurements vary from 15% to 80%, confirming the high potential of this mechanism. However, the implementation of joint procurements faces systemic barriers: the lack of clear legal definition in Federal Law No. 44-FZ, difficulties in coordinating among participants, fragmented funding timelines, manual nature of agreements on joint activities, and the loss of regional markups when the contract amount exceeds 10 million rubles. These factors slow down procedures and reduce participant interest. The problem is particularly acute in the context of national projects, where delays in procurements lead to socially significant consequences: disruptions in patient treatment, progression of diseases, especially in regions. The authors conclude that to expand the use and improve the effectiveness of joint procurements, it is not just about incremental improvements but rather comprehensive enhancement, combining regulatory clarification of the status of procurements, modernization of ЕИС with the introduction of a “Joint Procurements” module that ensures automation of coordination processes, monitoring, and report generation. A promising direction is the transition from manual agreements to a platform-based model, where demand is automatically aggregated, and participation by buyers occurs through a single window. Comprehensive development of legal, technological, and organizational infrastructure will enable the full realization of the potential of joint procurements, improve access to quality medical care, and enhance the efficiency of budgetary spending.