On August 26, a meeting of the working group on improving the legislation on the advertising of medicinal products was held under the chairmanship of the First Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Oleksandra Pavlenko.

Among the issues discussed at the meeting are the international experience of regulating the advertising of medicinal products, the regulatory and legal basis of regulating the advertising of medicinal products in Ukraine, and proposals for improving the legislation in this area.

The participants of the meeting discussed the general vector of the group’s work – strengthening control over the advertising of medicinal products, considered drafts of regulatory documents proposed by members of the working group, in particular, changes to the criteria used in determining medicinal products, the advertising of which is prohibited, proposals for the order of consideration of cases regarding violations legislation on the advertising of medicinal products.

First Deputy Minister Oleksandra Pavlenko emphasized the need to strengthen control over the advertising of medicinal products in Ukraine.

“We need to improve the legal framework for the advertising of medicinal products, make the necessary changes at the legislative level, and strengthen control over the advertising of non-prescription medicinal products. The main thing today is to decide who should control the advertising of over-the-counter medicines, and according to what criteria, because recently there has been an increase in the amount of advertising that misleads the consumer,” stressed Oleksandra Pavlenko.

The working group on improving the legislation on the advertising of medicinal products was established by the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 467 of July 24, 2015. First Deputy Minister of Health Oleksandr Pavlenko was appointed as the head of the working group. The working group was created to develop a mechanism that would protect the consumer of advertising products and medicinal products, but at the same time take into account the interests of the pharmaceutical industry.

The working group also included People’s Deputy of Ukraine Viktoriya Ptashnyk, specialists of the SEP, the State Medical Service of Ukraine, representatives of public organizations and specialized associations (with consent). Representatives of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the State Inspectorate of Ukraine for the Protection of Consumer Rights and the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Institute of Intellectual Property” (Ukrpatent), representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine were also involved in the working group’s activities.

We remind you that the norms of paragraphs 4.4 of Chapter XVI “Reform of the Health Care System” of the Coalition Agreement provides for banning the advertising of medicinal products. The leading associations in the media industry, pharmaceutical manufacturers and a number of medical associations expressed their negative attitude towards the possible consequences of the introduction of such a norm.

According to the materials of www.moz.gov.ua