The introduction of the permanent availability of a minimum assortment of medicines in retail trade has become one of the strategic steps to ensure the availability of medical supplies, said the Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on National Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance, Mykhailo Radutskyi, during the presentation of draft law No. 10384.
In the context of a full-scale war, this is defined as a critical task. The draft law provides for the obligation of national distributors to ensure the constant availability of a minimum assortment of drugs in the pharmacy network.
To date, the government has already taken steps to alleviate the situation, reducing the requirements for the minimum area of pharmacies in villages, allowing mobile pharmacies to operate, and establishing reference prices for medical drugs purchased with budget funds. The next stage is the formation of drug stocks in the regions.
Mykhailo Radutsky also emphasized the need for social responsibility of pharmaceutical operators and pointed to the positive experience of EU countries, where social responsibility is enshrined in regulatory documents. It is noted that the new edition of the Law "On Medicinal Products" includes a similar provision, but it will come into effect after the end of the war.
"Therefore, we are already proposing more specific requirements for national distributors, assigning duties to manufacturers, importers and national distributors to ensure the constant availability of the mandatory minimum assortment of medical drugs in Ukrainian-made pharmacies. This will make it possible to provide the population with medicines at a moderate price in every region," said Mykhailo Radutskyi.
