“It’s populism”: doctor criticizes the list of TOP-100 drugs that will become 30% cheaper

Price reductions should be targeted at the most popular drugs, not the most needed ones. After all, ineffective medicines such as hepatoprotectors and other so-called “fungicides” are popular in Ukraine. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to UNN by anesthesiologist Ivan Chernenko, commenting on the list of TOP-100 medicines published by the Ministry of Health, which will become 30% cheaper from March 1.

My position is clear. If prices are to be reduced, they should be reduced not for the 100 most popular medicines, but for the 100 most needed medicines,

According to him, among the drugs on the list for cheaper prices were unproven drugs that are in demand but have no proven effectiveness.

Because the popular ones are usually some kind of cold medicine, some kind of antiviral, which is not very effective. These are some kind of hepatoprotectors, nootropics, something else of this kind. I don’t see any point in lowering their prices at all. That is, on the contrary, instead of buying something more expensive but evidence-based in a pharmacy, a person will buy some kind of fake medicine at a discount,

He also added that interference in market relations is a poor tool for reducing drug prices and is more akin to “populism.

Recall

On February 12, the National Security and Defense Council held a meeting, at which they decided to reduce the cost of 100 medicines by 30%. Other medicines should become 20% cheaper. 

On February 13, President enacted this NSDC decision.

Today, on February 19, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine published a list of the most popular medicines, the prices of which will be reduced by 30% starting March 1, 2025. The list includes, among other things, drugs without proven efficacy: Corvalol, Validol, Urolesan, hepatoprotectors, Furacilin, Rheosorbilact, Alochol, Mucaltin, Sonmil, Ascorbic (in various forms), Novirin, Furagin.

In addition, the list includes the same medicines, but with different numbers of tablets. For example, Citramon-Darnitsa for 10 tablets and Citramon-Darnitsa for 6 tablets, Farmadol for 50 tablets, Farmadol for 10 tablets and Farmadol MAX for 10 tablets.

The list also includes medicines that are sold only by “red prescription”, such as Clofelin.