When pharmacies in Ukraine will join the “Affordable Medicines” program and how to get medicines
14 February 18:36
Starting in July 2025, all Ukrainian pharmacies will join the Affordable Medicines program. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Komersant ukrainskyi reports, citing the official Telegram channel of the Prime Minister.
He recalled that at the initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the National Security and Defense Council approved measures that will reduce the price of medicines for our citizens. In particular, Ukrainian manufacturers will reduce selling prices for the 100 most popular medicines by 30% starting March 1.
“Today, also pursuant to the decision of the National Security and Defense Council, the Government approves other measures to reduce the cost of medicines. First of all, we are launching a number of regulations to ensure transparent pricing and proper competition. Starting from July 2025, all pharmacies will be obliged to conclude an agreement with the NHSU and will dispense medicines under the “Affordable Medicines” program,” Shmyhal said.
In addition, government officials agreed on the following measures in the sphere of turnover of medicines in Ukraine
- limiting the maximum trade margin for pharmacies. Now it will be no more than 35% for over-the-counter drugs;
- agreed on a regressive scale for prescription drugs. Suppliers will be able to add no more than 8% to the wholesale price depending on the cost of the drug;
- strengthened control over the availability of medicines in hospitals. Patients should receive medicines in hospitals free of charge;
- expanded the “Affordable Medicines” program as part of the “Winter Support” initiative. For this purpose, more than UAH 6 billion was allocated in the state budget;
- we agreed to improve the territorial availability of medicines. “Ukrposhta delivers medicines free of charge across the country. The mobile pharmacies launched by the Government last year are already traveling to 650 settlements.
What you need to know about the government program “Affordable Medicines”
The “Affordable Medicines” program is a government initiative aimed at providing Ukrainian citizens with vital medicines free of charge or with a small surcharge. Launched in April 2017, it aims to reduce the financial burden on patients and increase access to treatment for common chronic diseases.
Patients suffering from certain diseases can receive medicines by e-prescription at any pharmacy that has signed a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU). To do this, you need to contact your family doctor, general practitioner, or pediatrician, who will issue an electronic prescription. After that, the patient receives an SMS message with a unique prescription code that must be presented at the pharmacy to receive the medicine.
Initially, the program covered patients with cardiovascular disease, bronchial asthma, and type II diabetes. Over time, the list of diseases was expanded. Since October 1, 2021, the program has added medications for the treatment of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, mood and neurotic disorders. It has also become possible to obtain an electronic prescription for insulin drugs.
As of 2025, the program includes more than 600 trade names of medicines and medical devices. In particular, the list includes medicines for the treatment of infectious diseases in children, such as amoxicillin, metronidazole, azithromycin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin. Medicines for the treatment of infections, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis have also been added.
How to get “Affordable Medicines”
Ukrainians were offered the following algorithm:
- Seea doctor: make an appointment with your family doctor, general practitioner or pediatrician.
- Get an electronic prescription: the doctor will write an electronic prescription and you will receive an SMS with a unique code.
- Go to the pharmacy: find a pharmacy that participates in the program (such pharmacies have a corresponding sticker or information).
- Receive medicines: present the prescription code to the pharmacist and receive medicines for free or with a small surcharge.
You can find out the address of the nearest pharmacy that works with “Affordable Medicines” by calling the NHSU hotline at 1677.
The program is funded by the state budget of Ukraine. The NHSU enters into contracts with pharmacies and reimburses them for the cost of medicines sold. On April 1, 2019, the program switched to an electronic format, which simplified the process of obtaining medicines for patients and ensured transparency of financial settlements.
Despite the success of the program, there are certain challenges, such as ensuring equal access to “Affordable Medicines” in rural and remote areas, as well as the need to constantly update the list of medicines in accordance with modern medical standards.
The government plans to continue expanding the program to include new diseases and medicines, as well as to improve funding and control mechanisms to ensure maximum efficiency and transparency.
