Viktor Liashko: Together with international partners, we continue to work on reforming the pharmaceutical sector and supply chains

Minister of Health Viktor Liashko met with the leadership of the USAID mission, the SAFEMed project, and representatives of the international non-profit organization Management Sciences for Health with the participation of Deputy Minister for European Integration Maryna Slobodnichenko to identify and work out priorities for further cooperation with the Ministry.

“First of all, I would like to sincerely thank the entire American people for their tremendous support from the first day of the full-scale war, for helping us fight for our independence and defend the values of the democratic world. Together we have resisted the COVID-19 pandemic, and together we are countering the invasion of russian terrorists. Maintaining the medical system in wartime is an extremely difficult task, but we are fulfilling it with dignity. The Ukrainian medical sector not only responds to military challenges, but also moves towards strategic transformation and development. Together with you, we continue to work on reforming the pharmaceutical industry and supply chains to make quality medicines available to Ukrainians,” said Viktor Liashko.

The participants discussed the key areas of cooperation, as the coordination of the work plan of international partners with the priorities of the Ministry is extremely important for the successful implementation of joint projects.  

The Minister emphasized that the Ministry of Health is actively working with the SAFEMed project to evaluate medical technologies. A lot of work has already been done, and there are significant results. The State Expert Center has a separate unit, the Department of Medical Technology Assessment and Rational Pharmacotherapy, which is responsible for implementing the medical technology assessment tool in Ukraine in accordance with international best practices at the national level. However, according to the Minister, it is necessary to move forward and to ensure further development, and there is a need to establish a separate independent agency for the assessment of medical technologies.

Also on the agenda is the creation of a single regulatory authority for the circulation of medicines and other medical products. This is envisaged by the new Law of Ukraine “On Medicinal Products”, is in line with the recommendations of the EU and WHO, and is another step towards bringing the Ukrainian drug circulation system in line with EU legislation.

Among other things, the meeting participants discussed the prospects of introducing a high-quality and efficient 2D coding system for medicines in Ukraine, which is extremely important for ensuring the safety and quality of medicines for patients. Consultations with market participants are ongoing.

The joint work will continue in the context of European integration changes in the regulation of the pharmaceutical market, namely: the recognition of GMP certificates and preparation for the signing and implementation of the ACAA Agreement (Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products), which will help accelerate Ukraine's integration into the EU pharmaceutical market.

The participants also discussed the institutionalization of the “last mile” delivery of anti-tuberculosis and antiretroviral drugs, as there are certain problems with their availability in remote areas and villages. Mechanisms are being developed to address this issue.

It should be recalled that the Ministry of Health has recently considered strategies to create a single national regulatory authority for the circulation of medicines and other medical products.