No businesses in Ukraine granted permission for parallel import of medicines – Medical Procurement of Ukraine
Ukraine currently has no business entities that have received permission for parallel import of medicinal products – the parallel import mechanism has not yet started operating, the state-owned enterprise (SOE) Medical Procurement of Ukraine told Interfax-Ukraine.
"To date, despite the existence of legislative conditions, the parallel-import mechanism has not yet started operating in full. In particular, at the moment there are no business entities that have received a permit for parallel import from the State Service of Ukraine for Medicines and Drug Control," SOE Medical Procurement of Ukraine told Interfax-Ukraine.
The agency noted that "therefore, as of today SOE Medical Procurement of Ukraine has no practical experience purchasing medicines under the parallel-import mechanism, while at the same time we view this instrument as promising."
"Parallel import can provide access to high-quality foreign-made medicines already registered in countries with strict regulatory policies (in this case the EU and the European Economic Area); it can increase market competition, which may reduce procurement prices; and it can create a more flexible supply system, which is especially important in wartime and with limited logistics routes," Medical Procurement of Ukraine said.
The procurement agency emphasized that, under the requirements of the Law on Medicinal Products, medicines brought in via parallel import are not subject to retail sale (dispensing) in pharmacies and their branches, but may be procured by Medical Procurement of Ukraine or hospitals to fulfil programs and carry out centralized public-health measures.
"We hope that with the full launch of the parallel-import mechanism in Ukraine Medical Procurement of Ukraine will be able to use this tool in the future to ensure patients have the medicines they need even more effectively," the agency said.
Medical Procurement of Ukraine recalled that the parallel-import mechanism for medicinal products was introduced into Ukrainian law in 2022 with the adoption of the Law on Medicinal Products. That law was originally set to take effect on January 1, 2027, but in 2024 amendments were made moving the start-date for the parallel-import provisions to January 1, 2025.
At the same time, subordinate acts on parallel import were approved relatively recently. A government resolution amended the procedure for state control of medicine quality and approved the procedure for granting permits for parallel import. Within the framework of centralized procurement, the possibility of supplying medicines via parallel import is provided for in SOE Medical Procurement of Ukraine's tender documentation – meaning a supplier intending to use parallel import must provide the relevant permits and licenses.
"We hope that with the full launch of the parallel-import mechanism in Ukraine Medical Procurement of Ukraine will be able to use this tool in the future to ensure patients have the medicines they need even more effectively," the agency reiterated.
