Ukrainians have a negative attitude towards the idea of reducing the number of pharmacies in the country. People interviewed by UNN journalists believe that such an initiative will not only limit access to medicines but also create preconditions for an even greater increase in prices. It can also return the country to the deficit realities familiar from Soviet times – queues and lack of choice, UNN reports.
The idea of reducing the number of pharmacies to "one pharmacy per district" is a direct threat to people's health and safety. After all, without quick access to medicines, when "every minute is precious" – there will be neither time nor opportunity to look for the only pharmacy in the district. Moreover, the quantitative limitation of pharmacies according to districts can lead to an increase in queues, market monopolization, and the creation of conditions for a shortage of medicines. This opinion is shared by most of the interviewed Kyiv residents, whom UNN journalists asked a simple question: "How do you feel about the initiative 'one pharmacy per district'?" See more details in the video.
Ukrainians understand that a pharmacy is not just a retail outlet; it is an important part of the social and medical infrastructure that provides continuous access to medicines even in emergencies.
In addition, a widespread network of pharmacies is also healthy competition in the market, which works in favor of the consumer. After all, it is thanks to the open market that every Ukrainian has the opportunity to choose a pharmacy where the service, price level, and assortment meet their specific needs.
In Ukrainian realities, a high density of pharmacies is not a problem, but an advantage, especially during the war, when millions of people need quick access to medical care.
Pharmacies in Ukraine are also an element of critical infrastructure that works even when other systems stop. During blackouts, pharmacies remain a place where you can not only buy medicines but also charge your phone and "catch" a connection, and warm up.
The very idea of reducing pharmacies during the war is not "optimization" but a blow to national security. If medicines become less accessible, the consequences can be catastrophic – from a wave of social tension to an increase in mortality.
The experience of recent years proves that Ukraine has all the prerequisites for the development of an open and competitive pharmaceutical market.