Drug prices are rising, trust is falling: why "Darnytsia" is losing the battle for the consumer

Ukrainians are changing their consumer habits and more often choose more affordable alternatives instead of brands. Instead of reorienting to consumer demand, some pharmaceutical giants continue to keep drug prices high. They are being displaced by cheaper analogues from other domestic manufacturers, writes UNN.

Drug prices: how the cost of medicines has changed since 2024

In 2024, the pharmaceutical company "Darnitsa" unreasonably raised prices for its drugs by 120%. This increase was confirmed even by Kateryna Zagoriy, the Head of the Company's Board of Directors.

When dissatisfaction with the high cost of medicines began to grow exponentially among Ukrainians, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy intervened. He instructed the Government to develop an approach that would allow reducing prices for medicines.

In an attempt to deflect any accusations, "Darnitsa" shifted the blame for high drug prices to pharmacy chains. Company representatives lobbied for changes in regulatory policy that were beneficial to large pharmaceutical manufacturers. As a result, marketing agreements with pharmacies were banned, and the markup of pharmacies and distributors remained fixed.

The main cost of a drug is formed at the production stage – this is 72% of the final price. Here, the price markup is not regulated by law, and factories often inflate prices. Representatives of "Darnitsa" claimed that they were allegedly forced to include marketing costs in the price of drugs. After the official ban, these costs disappeared, but drug prices did not fall.

To pull the wool over people's eyes, the manufacturer reduced the cost of about 20 of its drugs, which were not expensive anyway. They were included in the "top 100 drugs whose prices have decreased" published on the website of the Ministry of Health. However, even these drugs became cheaper by less than the promised 30%.

Known brand and analogues: who is cheaper

In parallel with "Darnitsa", other domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers, who did not have such inflated prices, also reduced the cost of their products. As a result, many "Darnitsa" drugs remained more expensive than their analogues.

If you compare the well-known painkiller "Tsitramon", which, by the way, was included in the list of drugs whose cost officially decreased, "Darnitsa" loses the price battle. In Kyiv pharmacies, the cheapest can be found from 11.00 hryvnias for a blister of 10 tablets. While 10 "Darnitsa" tablets will cost the buyer almost three times more - from 27.00 hryvnias.

Ukrainians choose cheaper alternatives: how Darnitsa's high-price policy weakens its position in the pharmaceutical market25.09.25, 17:30 • 36862 views

The consequences of the pharmaceutical market regulation lobbied by "Darnitsa" significantly affected not only pharmacies, but also the plant itself, notes economic expert Anatoliy Amelin.

"Because of this, the pharmaceutical company dropped from second to fourth (!) place among the largest drug manufacturers in Ukraine. Pharmacy chains also suffered losses from the cancellation of marketing payments," he wrote.

Consumer demand for medicines has changed

Economic experts explain that after the start of the full-scale invasion, the consumption style of Ukrainians changed. They are much more careful about purchases and are guided by cost, rather than overpaying for brand recognition.

Experts point out that those companies that were able to quickly adapt to the new market realities and consumer demand gained an advantage in the market. On the other hand, those who try to maintain super-profits, shifting responsibility to others and hiding behind rhetoric about "patient protection", risk losing customer trust.

So the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market has entered a phase of price competition. The winner is not the one who shouts loudest about "quality and patient protection", but the one who offers a fair price and the opportunity to buy medicines cheaper.

Advice for patients

To avoid unnecessary spending, buy only as much medicine as you need for a full course of treatment, because extra pills are usually thrown away. Compare prices in different pharmacies and do not overpay for the brand. Most generics have the same composition and effect, but less known brands cost many times less.

In Ukrainian realities, saving is not a compromise with quality, but a rational choice, because all medicines undergo appropriate checks.

Doctors always advise completing the prescribed course, because an unfinished antibiotic is not only wasted money, but also a risk to your health.

Don't turn your first aid kit into a warehouse. Buy medicines when you really need them, and regularly check the expiration dates of medicines. And most importantly - do not self-medicate, because an incorrectly chosen drug will cost your health more than a doctor's consultation.