Price changes in pharmacies: new rules for the “Affordable Medicines” program

In Ukraine, significant changes are taking place in the process of compensating the cost of medicinal products. The government adopted Resolution No. 440, which actually modernizes the reimbursement system, the mechanism by which the state covers the costs of medicines for patients.

Among the main innovations is the strengthening of the role of the National Health Service of Ukraine, which will now be engaged in determining which drugs are subject to reimbursement, forming their list and setting maximum prices. Previously, most of these functions were performed by the Ministry of Health.

These changes mean the centralization of processes: NSZU not only makes decisions, but also controls prices and availability of funds. The Ministry of Health remains the role of information provider, in particular regarding the national list of medicinal products.

Price formation is considered: the principle of therapeutic groups is introduced for the first time. This means that drugs with different names but the same purpose are combined and the price is determined based on the median among them. This approach will prevent artificial price inflation and make medicines more affordable.

There are separate conditions for the newest drugs. Manufacturers can offer prices lower than the established limits and fix them for at least one year. In case of significant currency fluctuations, the price may be revised.

Another important innovation is the establishment of a fixed percentage of reimbursement, which will allow more accurate forecasting of costs both for the state budget and for patients.

The process of including new medicines in the program is also simplified. If there are no drugs in a certain category, the one with the lowest price is automatically added, with the possibility of other manufacturers joining later.

Control over the system is becoming tighter: the NHSHU is obliged to regularly check the relevance of the provided data and quickly respond to changes, for example, in the event of a drug losing its registration.

Earlier it was reported that new methods for doctors are being introduced in Ukraine: mistakes in sick days can lead to a decrease in salary. Also under discussion are new rules for sick leave certificates that will simplify procedures in April.