“More than 70% of the price of medicines in Ukraine depends on the manufacturers of drugs – data from the research company Proxima ResearchA Proxima Research study showed that drug manufacturers form 71.5% of the cost of drugs. Restrictions on marketing agreements did
not reduce the cost of drugs, patients did not feel the changes.”, — write: unn.ua
DetailsAccording to the results of the study, the main influence on the retail price of medicines is exerted by manufacturers – 71.5%, while pharmacies determine 22.6%, and distributors – only 5.9% of the cost.
This fact is of particular importance in the context of active regulation of the pharmaceutical market in Ukraine, which has been going on for several months. Since March 1, 2025, a ban on marketing agreements between manufacturers and pharmacies has been in effect. After its introduction, a significant reduction in the cost of medicines was expected, because manufacturers accumulated funds previously spent on marketing, and therefore could direct them to lower prices for the population.
We are talking about very significant amounts, because the ban on marketing agreements allowed manufacturers to reduce the cost of stimulating pharmacies (sometimes up to 60%), but this saving did not translate into lower selling prices – instead, it allowed them to maintain or even increase profits. Patients did not feel the promised reduction in price. At the same time, prices not only did not decrease, but even increased.
The situation indicates that the regulation is already proving to be insufficiently effective, because it is focused more on pharmacies, while manufacturers, who form the largest part of the price of medicines (71.5%), actually remain without control, so a real reduction in the cost of medicines in general across the market, especially those that are not included in the so-called “top 100”, is simply impossible.
Among other things, the researchers noted that inflation also significantly affects the cost of medicines. Thus, the inflation index in April 2025 compared to the same month last year was 15.1%. At the same time, from December 2024 to April 2025, inflation was 4.3%, which also indicates a gradual increase in prices in the country.
At the same time, the issue of the availability of medicines also remains sensitive. The report showed significant changes in the presence of pharmacy chains in different regions of the country. The largest decrease was recorded in eastern Ukraine – by 30%, while in central Ukraine the decline in the presence of pharmacies was 8%.
In practice, this means that residents of these regions, especially in eastern Ukraine, are experiencing serious difficulties in accessing medicines. Due to the projected reduction in the number of pharmacies, people will have to spend more time and resources to find the necessary drugs. This problem is particularly acute for the elderly, people with disabilities and residents of small settlements, where the choice of pharmacies is limited, and the distance to the nearest pharmacy can become critical.
Let us remind youThe Ministry of Health does not see any problems with the availability of medicines. According to Viktor Lyashko, even in the most remote villages and front-line areas, the supply of medicines “is under control”: supposedly several mechanisms have already been launched to ensure uninterrupted supply through mobile points and support from postal infrastructure. At the same time, the postal operators themselves noted that they do not have the necessary resources to replace pharmacies. For example, in the delivery of medicines that require special temperature conditions.
And it’s not just about front-line areas. Even in the Kyiv region, there is only one pharmacy left in one of the villages, and the post office is only open a few days a week. That is, in the event of the closure of a pharmacy, local residents are forced to travel dozens of kilometers to buy the most necessary medicines or wait for them for several days. As warns Olena Prudnikova, head of the NGO “All-Ukrainian Association FARMRADA”, such delays lead to a shortage of critical drugs and the activation of the shadow circulation of medicines, because patients are forced to look for alternative, but not always safe channels for purchasing medicines. Thus, the official assurances of the Ministry of Health on the uninterrupted supply of medicines do not take into account real logistical constraints and the destruction of the pharmacy network, which may create a threat to the health of people in remote regions.