Frontline communities in the Kharkiv region are concerned about the consequences of the new resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, which regulates the operation of the pharmaceutical market. According to community leaders, the new requirements may lead to mass closures of pharmacies, especially in settlements located near the state border. Communities are already receiving warnings about the possible cessation of pharmacy operations, which will threaten people's access to life-saving medications. At the same time, the Kharkiv RMA assures that communities will be provided with the necessary medicines, reports UNN.
The residents of frontline villages and towns, where pharmacies operate under extremely difficult conditions, often under shelling, will be the most affected. Due to constant enemy attacks, pharmacy points often suffer damage and need to be restored. There have been cases where such restoration has occurred up to ten times.
For tens of thousands of people who remain in frontline territories despite the full-scale invasion, pharmacies are the only source of medicines. The possible closure will be particularly difficult for elderly and mobility-impaired individuals who cannot travel to another settlement for medical assistance.
In the Derhachi community, the issue of providing medicines has become acute
The Derhachi community in the Kharkiv region, located in the frontline zone, is already feeling the effects of the difficult situation. According to the head of the community, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, there are currently six pharmacies operating in the city of Derhachi. There is also a hospital in the city that provides free medications, but not all the medicines needed by local residents are available there. In the villages closer to the border with the Russian Federation, the situation is even more complicated — there is only one pharmacy operating per settlement.
Currently, about 30 thousand people live in the community, most of whom are elderly. Therefore, according to Zadorenko, additional mobile pharmacies are operating to ensure access to medicines for the mobility-impaired population. Local authorities are concerned about the new regulation of the pharmaceutical market, which may lead to the disappearance of pharmacy points and mobile pharmacies.
Of course, this will be a very painful issue for the people who remain in the community. Considering the conditions in which our pharmacists have to work, which are very difficult, this issue is very important for us... Therefore, I believe that this decision (the Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 168 regarding prices for medicines – ed.) is not well-considered regarding our frontline communities
He added that local authorities have already received warnings from pharmacies that due to the new regulation of the pharmaceutical market, they will be forced to cease operations. In this regard, communities have appealed to the head of the Kharkiv district with a request to raise this issue at the state level.
In addition, the Derhachi community is preparing a relevant appeal to the Ministry of Health requesting a review of the changes to the regulation of the pharmaceutical market that have come into effect.
"We will address a letter to the Ministry of Health regarding the need to review the position... We are waiting for a decision in favor of the people and the community," Zadorenko noted.
Head of the Zolochiv community: "If pharmacies close, it will be a social explosion"
The Zolochiv community in the Kharkiv region is facing a similar problem. Its head, Viktor Kovalenko, confirmed to UNN that he has also received warnings about the possible closure of pharmacies due to the new requirements of the Cabinet.
I have already been warned about this and even received a letter regarding it. If this happens, it will be very, very difficult for us. We have a social pharmacy that travels and operates in the elder's districts of our border community. This is very important, as people can receive social medicines or purchase what they need. This pharmacy serves five districts, where many displaced persons are concentrated, and densely populated areas such as Fesky and Dovzhyk
In addition to the mobile pharmacy, there are only two stationary pharmacy points operating in Zolochiv.
"If they are closed, we will be left without pharmacies. At all. I am just stating a fact. I am not discussing the decision," - said the head of the Zolochiv community.
He added that the community has appealed to the people's deputy of Ukraine, Oleksiy Krasov, who represents their district, to help resolve this issue at the level of the central government.
If the situation does not change, the community will be forced to return to the practice of 2022, when at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, elders collected requests for medicines from local residents, traveled to Kharkiv, bought medications, and distributed them in the villages.
If there are no pharmacies in the community at all, it will be a social explosion... It will be extremely negative. Because there are medicines that are critically important for chronic patients
Mobile pharmacies may also cease operations
The head of the Kharkiv district state administration, Volodymyr Usov, also confirmed in a comment to UNN that pharmacy network owners have sent letters to frontline communities about the possible closure of pharmacies after the new pharmaceutical market regulation rules come into effect.
"Our network owners have sent letters to the communities, to the administration, stating that these pharmacies must be closed because they will not be profitable due to the entry into force of this resolution (Cabinet of Ministers – ed.)," Usov said.
According to him, there are currently 15 communities under the jurisdiction of the Kharkiv district, some of which are frontline. Pharmacy points do not operate in all settlements. Therefore, access to medications is provided by mobile pharmacies that reach these settlements.
Usov added that in the letter, pharmacy network owners informed that due to the new regulations, the operation of mobile pharmacies may also cease.
"Mobile pharmacies are also subsidized; they will not be able to operate. This is not about profit. This is more of a social project aimed at the accessibility of medicines, for people to order medicines from their family doctor, where they receive affordable medicines," emphasized the head of the RDA.
Separately, Usov noted the difficult situation in Slatyne, where there is no "Ukrposhta" branch, and "Nova Poshta" operates in a limited mode. People can only receive medicines at the local pharmacy, but if it closes, they will have to travel to Derhachi, if the pharmacy point there does not cease operations.
According to him, the distance to Derhachi is 15 kilometers. However, transportation is problematic: the electric train runs 5 times a day, the rest is only hitchhiking or personal transport.
The Kharkiv RMA assures that medicines for the population will be available
As reported by the deputy head of the Kharkiv RMA, Olena Lohvynova, a communal enterprise "Regional Pharmacy Warehouse" operates in the region, which has more than 200 pharmacy points, as well as a mobile pharmacy. If necessary, the number of the latter can be increased.
According to our information, one of the pharmacy networks has sent letters to communities regarding the possible closure of pharmacy points. Thus, the implementation of the provisions of the above-mentioned Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 955 may cause certain difficulties for entrepreneurs, as it affects the profitability of their activities. But even if a certain pharmacy network exits from one or another settlement - we will be able to provide communities with the necessary medications both through the communal institution and other representatives of the pharmaceutical business, of which there are more than 20 in the region
At the same time, the Kharkiv RMA reminded that the Minister of Health Viktor Lyashko has repeatedly emphasized that the Ministry of Health is open to discussing urgent problems that arise during the implementation of the mechanisms for setting prices for medicines. The Ministry of Health considers all proposals received from entrepreneurs and citizens to develop optimal solutions and ensure the availability of medicines for the population of Ukraine, as well as its financial capacity and protection.
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