Tomorrow, Ukrainian pharmacies will start selling prescription drugs using electronic prescriptions – however, paper prescriptions will not be cancelled. The list includes about 60% of all registered medicines; however, it was not expanded – before, some pharmacies could sell drugs on their own initiative without the official permission of a doctor.
What drugs are on the prescription drug list?
Antibiotics (azithromycin, ceftriaxone, amoxil, etc.); Anticonvulsants (carbamazepine, lamotrin, pregabalin); Hormonal drugs, including contraceptives (postinor, L-thyroxine, eutiroks); Drugs for the treatment of blood pressure, heart disease (captopril, bisoprolol; corvalol and valocordin, if the volume exceeds 50 ml); Some anthelmintic drugs (vormil, aldazol, zentel); Some antihistamines (dexamethasone, suprastin in ampoules); Blood thinners (cardiomagnyl, magnicor); Antidepressants, antipsychotics and relaxants (paroxin, chlorpromazine, lidocaine); Steroid drugs (dexamethasone, prednisolone); Some drugs for pain (ketanov, nimesil and its analogues), cough (drugs with codeine, as well as drugs based on salbutamol for inhalation), sedatives.
The Ministry of Health notes that they are not expanding the list of prescription drugs, but only introducing an additional tool that will allow controlling the release of prescription drugs in pharmacies and minimizing the negative manifestations of self-medication among Ukrainians.
How do you know if a drug is available on prescription?
You can view the instructions for the drug in online pharmacies or visit the website of the State Register of Medicines of Ukraine.
An over-the-counter medicine can be found in the List of medicines approved for use in Ukraine and dispensed without prescription from pharmacies and their structural divisions.
Where will e-prescriptions be issued?
An e-prescription can be obtained regardless of the presence of a declaration concluded with a family doctor. However, the patient must be registered in the eHealth system. A prescription can be issued by doctors of all specialties of state, municipal or private clinics, or by a FOP doctor. And for this it is not necessary to have an agreement with the NSZU.
During the examination, the doctor, if necessary, will register you in the EPHS and generate an electronic prescription, indicating the substance, dosage, duration of the course and instructions for taking the medication. A repeat prescription, in case of long-term treatment or chronic diseases, can be obtained remotely.
The patient’s phone will receive a prescription number and a unique code that must be reported to the pharmacist when buying the medicine. If a person does not have a mobile device, the doctor will print a special information leaflet with the details of the appointment, the number and code for paying off the prescription at the pharmacy.
How long will the prescription last?
The validity of one prescription is 10 days for narcotic (psychotropic drugs) and 30 days for other drugs. The frequency of obtaining such a prescription depends on the treatment regimen determined by the doctor. At the same time, you can partially redeem an e-prescription, i.e. purchase a smaller amount of medicine than the doctor prescribed (for example, a blister, sachet or ampoule).
The electronic prescription will not contain the trade names of drugs, but only the international non-proprietary name, that is, the active substance. The patient will be able to independently decide on the brand of the drug in accordance with his budget.
Exceptions for regions
In regions where hostilities are taking place, prescription drugs can be purchased without an e-prescription if necessary, and even without a prescription at all, except for prescription narcotic drugs.
Military administrations, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as volunteer and charitable organizations can continue to purchase prescription drugs for wartime needs in large quantities directly from distributors without prescriptions, the Ministry of Health notes.
The first two stages of e-prescription implementation took place last year: from August 1 for antibiotics, from November 1 for narcotic (psychotropic) drugs. As of the end of March 2023, 691,936 electronic prescriptions for antibacterial drugs and 20,118 for narcotic (psychotropic) drugs have been issued. Now the third stage has started – the extension of e-prescription to all prescription medicines.
