Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law that allows the online sale of pharmaceuticals.
Approved in its final reading on Sept. 17 with the support of 258 lawmakers, it still must be signed by the president in order to become law.
If signed, it will protect consumers from poor quality and fake medicine, according to the bill’s explanatory note. Lawmakers also hope that it will protect citizens from unguided self-treatment that can have harmful results.
According to the document, pharmacies can sell medicine online if they have a license and their websites meet necessary legal requirements. Pharmacy websites must contain information about the license, contact details, delivery prices and logos on each page and redirection to the list of business entities entitled to carry out electronic retail trade in medicines. Moreover, websites should provide an option for pharmaceutical consultations for those who want to purchase their products online.
However, pharmacies cannot sell narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and drug precursors (substances used to produce narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) online. Also, it is prohibited to sell highly potent, toxic, radioactive and immunobiological medicine over the internet.
The customer should provide an electronic prescription for buying the prescription medicines.
The pharmacy must deliver the medicine either by itself or through official postal services that are allowed to deliver medical goods.
As of now, the new regulation will meet the requirements of European Union legislation.
According to one of the authors of the law, Serhiy Kuzminykh, chairman of the Subcommittee on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Activity of the Verkhovna Rada and a member of the Servant of the People party, the law will promote healthy competition in the pharmaceutical market and, consequently, a decrease in drug prices.
Since 2011, Ukrainian legislation has prohibited the sale of medicine online, except in case of a state emergency such as a lockdown.
“The results of the work of operators providing postal delivery of medicines from pharmacies and online stores during quarantine demonstrate consumers’ great demand for this service,” the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs stated on June 3, 2020.
