Delivery vs pharmacy: can the post office replace the pharmacy infrastructure
Kyiv • UNN
Due to new rules in the pharmaceutical market, pharmacies may close, especially in villages and frontline areas. "Ukrposhta" and "Nova Poshta" cannot completely replace pharmacies.
After the entry into force of the new regulation of the pharmaceutical market in Ukraine, representatives of the pharmacy business, both large and small, announced serious risks of mass closure of pharmacies. The first to be threatened were pharmacies in villages and frontline settlements, where business is already difficult to survive in the conditions of war. Pharmacy chains have already begun to close unprofitable points, writes UNN.
Pharmacies may close?
New rules for the operation of the pharmaceutical market came into force on March 1, according to which pharmacies were prohibited from entering into marketing agreements with manufacturers. In addition, the pharmacy and distributor markup on drugs was limited.
As explained by the owners of pharmacy chains, previously they could maintain unprofitable pharmacies or restore pharmacies damaged by shelling through marketing. Marketing agreements also allowed retailers to offer discounts on medicines for end consumers and implement various social projects, one of which was the operation of mobile pharmacies in frontline areas.
Now, after the ban on marketing, it has become impossible to maintain unprofitable pharmacies in villages and frontline areas, and especially to restore them after Russian shelling, so some networks have already begun to curtail the activities of some pharmacies. And representatives of small businesses declare that they will not be able to continue working due to a significant restriction on drug markups, as they are forced to cover the costs of logistics, rent, training of pharmacists, utility bills and even cash collection themselves. In particular, are at risk 1,200 small pharmacies-sole proprietorships.
The Ministry of Health does not see any problems
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine assures that the situation is under control. The agency has publicly stated that it is doing everything possible to prevent the loss of pharmacy infrastructure in the regions.
However, during a meeting chaired by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister of Health Viktor Liashko stated that even if pharmacies stop operating in frontline settlements, residents will not be left without medicines - they will be delivered by Ukrposhta and Nova Poshta logistics companies.
The head of the Ministry of Health is convinced that there will be no problems with access to medicines in rural areas and frontline areas.
The Ministry of Health in response to a request from UNN reported that as of April 2, 29 mobile pharmacies are operating in 16 regions of Ukraine.
In addition, the national postal operator JSC "Ukrposhta" received a license to deliver medicines. According to the Ministry of Health, the pilot project "Medicines Ukrposhta" has been scaled up to all regions of Ukraine, including to frontline regions and territories where active hostilities are taking place.
Thus, the Ministry of Health together with the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines have taken measures to introduce incentives for the use of existing infrastructure, including medical and pharmaceutical, to increase the availability of medicines and medical devices and simplified the requirements for License Conditions in terms of retail trade in medicines in rural areas, launched the project "Mobile Pharmacy", and together with JSC "Ukrposhta" launched the project "Ukrposhta. Pharmacy ".
However, the reality in Ukraine does not always coincide with what is stated in ministerial offices. UNN contacted logistics companies to check how effective such a replacement of pharmacies could be.
What does "Ukrposhta" say
Ukrposhta confirmed that it delivers medicines to all regions of Ukraine, including frontline areas. However, delivery is not to the patient's home, but only to a stationary branch or through mobile post offices that operate on routes agreed with the military administration.
Currently, Ukrposhta has two pharmacies in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as a warehouse in the Kyiv region. All ordered medicines are delivered from these pharmacies to all regions of Ukraine.
"Delivery takes up to 3 days from the date of dispatch. The schedule of mobile branches that deliver medicines (and not only) to villages where there are no stationary Ukrposhta branches is also taken into account"
That is, in emergency cases, if, for example, the pressure suddenly rises, or the temperature suddenly rises, or the patient simply gets the flu, the medicine will either have to wait at least 3 days, or go for it to the nearest pharmacy a few tens of kilometers away.
In addition, Ukrposhta acknowledged that it cannot deliver medicines that must be stored in compliance with a special temperature regime.
"Currently, Ukrposhta does not deliver medicines with a temperature regime of +2 to +8 C. This process is in testing mode," the company said.
Position of "Nova Poshta"
Nova Poshta reported that it has been cooperating with pharmacy chains since the "covid" 2020 and delivers medicines throughout Ukraine, including frontline settlements. But the company added that delivery here may be limited due to shelling and other security risks.
Delivery time corresponds to the standard regulations of our company, but due to enemy shelling in the frontline zones, changes in schedules are possible
That is, the same situation as in the case of Ukrposhta - it will not be possible to get the medicine immediately or on the same day.
If the pharmacy infrastructure is lost in the frontline territories, we will deliver medicines to the branches or by door-to-door delivery, like regular parcels. But Nova Poshta will not be able to replace the functions of pharmacies, because our company is a logistics operator that delivers medicines, not sells them
As in the case of Ukrposhta, Nova Poshta also does not deliver medicines that require a special temperature regime of storage. Nova Poshta does not transport goods that require compliance with a special temperature regime," the company said.
The risk is not justified
So it is obvious that logistics companies cannot fully replace the pharmacy infrastructure, and it is not only about the time frame of delivery, but also about the range, storage conditions or pharmacist's consultation.
In cases where time is of the essence in treating a disease or providing emergency care during an acute condition, waiting 2-3 days for postal delivery is not an option. Therefore, the closure of pharmacies in villages and frontline areas is not only about business. It is, first of all, about people's access to medicines, and therefore basic medical care.
The Ministry of Health's calls not to worry look strange, and if the situation is not resolved, Ukrainian patients in the most dangerous regions of the country risk being left without vital medicines. Practice shows that even the best logistics solutions cannot replace the functions of pharmacies in full.
