Pharmacy services in Mongolia: Historical background and current situation

Over a long history, the pharmacy was developed in close connection with Traditional Mongolian Medicine (TMM) as one part of it. TMM was Mongolia's only available healthcare method before Western medicine was introduced in the 20th century. The pharmaceutical sector, founded in 1923, has played an essential role in the health system of Mongolia over the last hundred years. During the socialist time, the pharmaceutical sector was state-owned, and privatization started in 1990 when Mongolia transitioned from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. Mongolian current pharmaceutical sector is fully privatized except for public hospital pharmacies, and as of the end of 2021, 2822 pharmaceutical facilities were operating in Mongolia. Before the transition to the market economy, the functions of the pharmaceutical sector were mainly focused on the production, supply, compounding, and dispensing of drugs. Still, since 1990, the scope of pharmaceutical care services has changed. The pharmaceutical care service has been transferring from product-oriented to patient-centered care since the mid-1990s.