Valeriy Dubil: The prices of medications in Ukrainian pharmacies are twice as high as their European counterparts.

This was stated by the first deputy chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Health, head of the "Batkivshchyna" party in Kyiv, Valeriy Dubil.

“At the same time, my colleagues and I from the medical committee have allowed the State Enterprise 'Medzakupki' to import pharmaceuticals from other countries starting January 1, 2025. This concerns foreign medications that are cheaper in other countries. Alongside the use of managed access agreements, which have been in operation for two years, this should significantly reduce the costs of expensive medications for the State Budget and subsequently for all citizens of Ukraine,” he stated.

In turn, the leader of "Batkivshchyna," Yulia Tymoshenko, pointed out that there are corrupt intermediaries embedded between Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacies, who are earning dishonest billions from people's illnesses.

“The intermediary mafia is making billions by selling medications to Ukrainians at twice the price of European market rates,” she said.

Yulia Tymoshenko suggests that the monopoly on drug trade should be eliminated without delay, as Ukrainians must have unhindered access to necessary medications. To achieve this, pharmacy chains should be allowed to purchase foreign-produced drugs that are not registered in Ukraine but have quality certificates from the USA, UK, EU countries, Canada, Japan, and others. Additionally, pharmacy networks must procure medications exclusively through the Prozzoro system on a tender basis. They should also have simplified access to credit. For intermediaries, a cap on the purchase of pharmaceuticals from manufacturers should be set at 15-20%.