“It is our political decision and the sanctions against Russia.” So the health Ministry explained the appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers a proposal to ban Russian products. Due to sanctions Russia will lose up to $ 30 billion, estimated the officials. However, the office noted – 255 Russian drugs 108 do not have registered analogues in Ukraine. Eight of them are approved by the Ministry of health treatment protocols. The website “Today” figured out how it will affect the Ukrainians ban drugs from Russia and what would happen to drug prices.
Who will be left without medicines
Russian medicines in the country. According to the “Apteka” in 2016 from the total number of prescribed by doctors drugs only 2.5% of Russian production. Most of the drugs from the Russian Federation indicated for the treatment of diseases of the circulatory system, nervous system, gynecological diseases. Some of them have no analogues at the active ingredients. For example, Cortexin, Cytoflavin – used for diseases of the nervous system, Reamberin – krovezamenitel, used Retinalamin in ophthalmology.
Withdraw pharmacy drugs, the Ministry of health will not. In April the Agency asked the Cabinet to impose sanctions against the pharmaceutical industry of the Russian Federation. However, the government has not yet made such a decision. Therefore, the Ministry encourages the pharmaceutical company to abandon the Russian drugs. Some providers and pharmacies began to abandon them in 2014.
However, their registration documents are still listed drugs from Russia, which they can sell or ship to Ukraine. To this end, the Ministry of health and requests the company to change the registration data to exclude Russian drugs sales at all.
The Ministry of health recognizes that analogues of some Russian drugs in Ukraine. Photo: S. Nikolaev.
The health Ministry assured that all medications that may be subject to possible sanctions, may be replaced by other drugs. “There are only a few positions that are sensitive for the market of medicines. Absolutely complete replacement for them there, but other drugs with a different chemical composition can have identical readings and be effective”, – noted in the Department.
The President of the Ukrainian Council of protecting the rights and safety of patients Viktor Serdyuk believes that Ukrainians are the ban will have no effect as most drugs have counterparts, they are produced in Ukraine, India, Germany and other countries.
However, pharmaceutical companies are not required to abandon the Russian drugs. According to the law on sanctions, the Cabinet must submit a proposal on the prohibition of drugs to the Council of national security and defense. After consideration it must be signed by the President. And according to the law on medicines to ban the drug can be in identifying previously unknown dangerous properties.
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As the refusal of the Russian drugs will affect pharmacies and rates
According to the Director of the Kiev network pharmacies “pharmacy” Ruslan Svitlogo, 99% of drugs from Russia, they have already replaced. However, because of the ban can appreciate certain groups of drugs. So, in Russia there are some international companies. For example, the German STADA.
“If the German plant in Russia will be considered Russian in Ukraine, he will supply the drugs through other countries. Logistics is not profitable. Accordingly, the drugs are more expensive, some range will not. Globally it will not be noticeable to people, a larger deficit will not arise. But the question is whether international companies operating in Russia be considered an enemy?” – said Ruslan Swilly.
However, Viktor Serdyuk believes that the sanctions will not affect prices: “Prices will not change. Russian drugs are copies, the cost of which is not less than Indian. The question is that the Ukrainian counterparts are cheaper. And to give several billion hryvnia for financing of the Russian pharmaceutical industry what’s the point?”.
Another problem may be the establishment deliveries. Each plant has a production plan for the year and the volume that it can produce. If Ukraine will ban the same STADA, his factory in another country may refuse to make additional medications to Ukraine. He will not be able to produce more than planned, said Sweetly.
“Now in our online Russian drugs very few. They almost refused. If it is possible to replace – we’re trying to do. Maybe there are some drugs, without which people can’t – candles certain analogues which we do not produce. But international companies, working in Russia, I’m pretty sure we have.” – he adds.
99% of Russian medicines can be replaced with Ukrainian, Indian, or German. Photo: Artyom Geodakyan/TASS
Despite the total ban on Russian-made medicines can be a problem with the search for new suppliers or similar drugs. For example, in 2014 in Ukraine ended the period of registration of the Russian serum against botulism. At the request of the Ministry of health, the manufacturer has not submitted the documents for re-registration. This led to the fact that in 2015 the country was without antitoxin. According to Gospodarevskaya, 2014 botulism ill 170 people, of whom 17 died. After the Agency a one-time purchase of whey in Poland. However, neither the manufacturer for three years and not registered drug in Ukraine. This year, the Ministry had to seek help from the UN development Program. In addition, in Ukraine there is no registration of medical immunobiological preparations, such as serum against Viper venom and spider karakurt and others.
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Problems may be faced and Ukrainian manufacturers of medicines. Companies that use Russian raw materials, will have to find other suppliers. According to the law of Ukraine “On medicines” of a substance relate to medicines and must be registered.
On request “Today,” the Ministry said that the list of banned drugs does not exist, and “medicines of the Russian manufacture today are not withdrawn from the market prior to the adoption of the relevant decision of the government.”
“The Ministry of health withdraws from circulation on the Ukrainian market Russian drugs that are already imported to the territory of Ukraine. The decision applies to companies that have applied for permission to complete the process of registration or re-registration, developed with the participation of the Russian applicant. The Ministry agrees with the presence of drugs on the market these companies in case of receipt of the letter with the obligation to replace the applicants from the Russian Federation or manufacturers, if any, on the territory of Russia. The health Ministry insists on its position on the impossibility of the presence in Ukraine of drugs, manufactured exclusively in Russia”, – said the Agency.
Total in Ukraine was 12 877 medicines. 255 of them – the Russian production. Among them, 108 have was unique in the country, and eight are included in the approved by Ministry of health treatment protocols.
