“Prompt updating of medical documentation will allow to inform the patient about the appearance of new international recommendations – NGO “Athens. Women Against Cancer” Prompt updating of medical documentation will allow to inform the patient about the appearance of new international recommendations, according to the NGO “Athens. Women Against Cancer”.”, — write on: unn.ua
Context
Medical protocols in Ukraine need constant updating to meet modern international treatment standards. Current legislation provides for their review every five years, but progressive developments must be implemented faster. Valery Zub, a member of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on National Health, Medical Aid and Medical Insurance, said UNNthat the committee is working on the development of a mechanism for dynamically updating national protocols to adapt to new evidence-based treatment methods and changes in international medical practice.
Details
“In fact, it is very important, because after all, science is moving forward and international recommendations are constantly being updated. In Ukraine, it is allowed to use international protocols, but many protocols for the treatment of oncological diseases are also already approved by the State Expert Center (DEC). Sometimes it happens that quite drastic changes are made to (international – ed.) recommendations,” Romaniuk noted.
She added that medicines already approved by protocols are not always available to Ukrainian patients. “However, it helps to inform the patient, and the patient already decides how to proceed, whether to receive treatment at his own expense, or perhaps consider the possibility of treatment abroad, if this option already works abroad. That is why it is mega-important,” she said. Romanyuk
There are many late-stage patients who live waiting for the next line of treatment to become available, she said. That is, they went through one line of treatment – progression, then the second, and therefore they actively monitor the emergence of new protocols, new research that is being conducted, because new drugs appear all the time.
“The only problem is that our protocols and industry standards for oncology have been in development for quite a long time. Some have been ready for a long time, and some have not been able to complete it for a long time. Therefore, it also depends on the experts of these interdisciplinary working groups, how active they are. There are those who say that they are ready to update, to make changes that have taken place. And some, unfortunately, cannot yet complete the work on the protocols, which has been going on for years,” she emphasized Romanyuk
Ukrainian patients are hostages of the system: why the Ministry of Health should update medical protocols now01/21/25, 17:39 • 158503 views
She added that Ukraine currently lacks proper methods of quality control of the provision of medical care, which affects the rights of patients. “There are no quality control methods. It is necessary to somehow increase and influence the quality control of medical care. Now it is difficult,” said Romanyuk, adding that the rights of patients are currently being defended by public organizations, including the NGO “Athena. Women Against Cancer”. .
In addition, in her opinion, there should be a high-quality system of punishments for actions that have harmed patients, as well as a working system of medical licenses.
Let’s add
Valery Zub, a member of the special committee of the Verkhovna Rada, said that, for example, there are some protocols for the treatment of cancer that have been in effect since 2007 and since 2015. Another example of outdated medical documentation is guidelines and protocols for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa.
Back in 2016, a special commission approved an adapted clinical guideline, which recommends using exclusively the products of the Swedish company Molnlycke Health Care for the treatment of “butterfly people” wounds. This document was compiled based on recommendations and findings gathered in 2012. It was supposed to be revised in 2019, but it did not happen. The commission has not updated its recommendations for more than five years, despite the latest experience of international colleagues, which suggests the presence of corruption motives in its inaction. In 2017, this guideline formed the basis of a medical protocol for the treatment of patients with epidermolysis bullosa. In this way, “butterfly people” in Ukraine were deprived of the right to choose medical means for treating wounds, because no analogue of Swedish bandages was indicated in the documentation.
The 2021 European consensus on practical advice for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa, published by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, advises doctors to use an individual approach in the treatment of “butterfly people”. “Choosing a wound treatment strategy should take into account efficacy, patient preferences, and cost-effectiveness,” the document says.
The economic feasibility is particularly related to the fact that patients with epidermolysis bullosa have to use many wound dressings during their lifetime, and some manufacturers, such as Molnlycke Health Care, are very expensive.
At the same time, European doctors in the guidelines indicated a number of manufacturers of bandages that can be used in the treatment of wounds of patients with epidermolysis bullosa. That is, they give patients the opportunity to choose the medicine that suits them best. Moreover, Europeans advise doctors to use gauze if it is not possible to use specialized bandages. A 2024 clinical practice guideline for epidermolysis bullosa of the newborn, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, suggests a similar approach to prevent skin injury in children who wear diapers.
But in Ukraine, international recommendations are ignored and they stubbornly say that only Swedish bandages can be used for patients with epidermolysis bullosa.
We will remind
Earlier UNN received information indicating that the Swedish company Molnlycke Health Care, which occupies a monopoly position on the Ukrainian market of medical dressings for patients with epidermolysis bullosa, may be involved in financing the public union “Orphan Diseases of Ukraine”, headed by Tetyana Kulesha. The union actually became the mouthpiece of the company, which helps to maintain Molnlycke’s monopoly on the market of medical bandages in Ukraine, and lobbies for its interests.
In his public speeches, Kulesha constantly emphasizes that there is no alternative to Swedish bandages, and defends Molnlycke products, despite the presence of high-quality and cheaper analogues that are successfully used in other countries.
Experts interviewed UNNnote that the situation surrounding Molnlycke Health Care has clear signs of a conflict of interests and a corruption component. At the same time, attempts by other manufacturers to offer alternative bandages for government tenders are blocked due to the influence of “Orphan Diseases of Ukraine” and its leaders.
Former Minister of Health Zoryana Skaletska emphasized that the Ministry of Health must understand the situation and do everything necessary to ensure the interests of patients. She emphasized that orphan diseases require special attention, because due to the rarity of these diseases, state bodies may not have enough information for a quick response.