25-31 May 2026 – National Barrier-Free Week

In order to draw public attention to the need to create an accessible environment and equal opportunities for all citizens, to raise awareness of decisions and reforms in the context of creating barrier-free spaces, services and information, and to promote the development of culture of respect and dignity, the National Barrier-Free Week is held from 25 to 31 May 2026.

The State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control is joining the National Barrier-Free Week.

As a public policy, barrier-free environment means designing an approach where every person in our country can have free access to any area of life: education, career building, moving around the country, etc.

In April 2021, the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space was adopted, which was developed within the framework of the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska “Without Barriers” and on implementation of the Decree of the President of Ukraine. The Strategy is designed until 2030 and provides the elimination of barriers in six main areas.

The first is physical, which includes the development of common architectural standards. This means that all our environment (buildings, streets, sidewalks, transport) should be physically accessible to all people, including people with reduced mobility (people with disabilities, older people, parents with small children, etc.).

The second is social and civic, which is about creating equal opportunities for people to participate actively in public life. This means that every person, under this approach, should feel free to express themselves, that they will not be judged for any of their characteristics. Instead, the differences of each of us will strengthen and develop our society.

The third is economic. And it means ensuring that people can get jobs and feel protected from discrimination. It also means creating opportunities to get financial and other resources to start business.

The fourth is education. It all starts with education: every person should have free access to quality education, and throughout their life. This is exactly what the state will take care of within this direction.

The fifth is digital, and it is the area without which we cannot imagine our lives in the 21st century. Digital accessibility means access for all social groups to all services that are online and to the Internet itself.

And the sixth is informational. This is about creating the conditions where people, regardless of their mobility, functional disabilities or communication abilities, can access information and use all the necessary technologies.

The State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control is involved in the processes of creating a barrier-free space in Ukraine.

Paragraph 5 of point 165 of the Licensing Conditions for the conduct of economic activities in the production of medicines, wholesale and retail trade of medicines, import of medicines (except for active pharmaceutical ingredients) (hereinafter – Licensing Conditions), approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 30.11.2016 No. 929, provides that the licensee, who conducts retail trade of medicines, shall ensure the creation of necessary conditions for free access of persons with disabilities and other low-mobility groups of the population to premises in accordance with state building regulations, rules and standards, which is documented by a specialist in technical examination of buildings and structures who has a qualification certificate.

In accordance with the Procedure for Verifying the Compliance of Material and Technical Base, Qualified Personnel, as well as the Conditions for Medicines Quality Control to be Produced and/or Imported into the Territory of Ukraine, before Issuing a License for the Performance of Economic Activity in Medicines Production, Wholesale, Retail Trade of Medicines, Import of Medicines (Except for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), approved by the order of the Ministry of Health of 06.07.2022 No. 1169, officials of SMDC of Ukraine and its territorial bodies carry out inspections of economic entities that intend to engage in economic activity in retail trade of medicines, in particular, the provision of necessary conditions for free access of persons with disabilities and other low-mobility groups of the population to premises in accordance with state building regulations, rules and standards, which is documented by a specialist in technical examination of buildings and structures who has a qualification certificate.

Also, SMDC of Ukraine and its territorial bodies carry out control over compliance with the Licensing Conditions, including the creation of necessary conditions for free access of persons with disabilities and other low-mobility groups of the population to the premises of pharmacy establishments, during the implementation of planned and unplanned state supervision (control) measures.

The State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control and its territorial bodies carry out communication and explanatory work with economic entities engaged in the retail sale of medicines, regarding their strict compliance with the Licensing Conditions.

The territorial bodies of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control have signed memorandums with public organizations with which they cooperate on issues of ensuring the creation of necessary accessibility conditions by pharmacy establishments.

A special section “Barrier-free” has been created on SMDC of Ukraine’s website.