The representatives of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control took part in the meeting of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Medical Insurance

On 2 December 2025 Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control Volodymyr Korolenko and Deputy Head of Department of wholesale and retail trade of medicines –  Head  of  Division of control and licensing of economic activities in wholesale and retail trade of medicines  Andrii Dolgovskyi took part in the meeting of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Medical Insurance, the agenda of which included issues of medicines availability for people living in frontline territories, clarification of the term “substandard medicines” and extension of cooperation on joint procurement with EU countries.

The special attention was paid to the work of pharmacies in frontline regions.

The State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control has developed amendments to the Licensing conditions for economic activities in the manufacturing of medicines, wholesale and retail trade in medicines and import of medicines (except for active pharmaceutical ingredients), according to which, for pharmacies located in villages, settlements and areas of active combat operations, the positions of pharmacy manager/pharmacy assistant manager and deputy pharmacy manager may also be held by persons who have an educational and professional degree of junior bachelor in the specialty “Pharmacy,” without any work experience requirements, or no lower than a junior bachelor’s degree in nursing with specializations (educational and professional programmes) in medical care, “Nursing” or “Obstetrician” and a certificate of the right to work in the field of “Pharmacy (retail sale of medicines),” with no work experience requirements.

Thus, medical workers who are not pharmacists must take special courses and obtain the appropriate certificate in order to be able to work in rural or frontline pharmacies.

However, such programmes have not yet been implemented in educational institutions. Therefore, the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control has prepared and submitted for consideration the amendments to the Licensing conditions, according to which the requirement to have a certificate of the right to work in the field of “Pharmacy (retail sale of medicines)” for persons who have an education in the specialty “Nursing” and are admitted to work in pharmacies in accordance with the Licensing conditions will be applied from July 1, 2027.

Postponing the requirement to obtain a certificate should remove temporary organizational obstacles, allowing for more effective provision of medicines to people where it is critically important.