In response to the appeal of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the WHO European Mission arrived and held a working consultative and methodological meeting with the moderators of the subgroups involved in the process of developing the National Policy on Medical Supply.

The scientific-methodological and coaching session was led by the Director of the Department of Health Care Technology and Medicines of the WHO European Regional Office, Hanne Buck Petersen, with the participation of the department employee Guillaume Dede, WHO expert on the quality assurance of medicines, Jean-Michel Codron, and the national specialist in pharmaceutical supply. Office of the WHO in Ukraine Stanislava Knyazkova. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine introduced the First Deputy Minister Oleksandra Pavlenko, who coordinates the legislative regulation of the future National Policy on Medical Supply.

Opening the first working meeting of WHO experts with national experts of Ukraine, Oleksandra Pavlenko noted that 2016 should be a turning point in the methodology of medical provision of Ukraine, this is one of the tasks set as part of the process of reforming the health care system. And she also emphasized that in the process of developing the National Policy on Medical Supply, Ukraine will focus on WHO recommendations. “The Ministry emphasizes the importance and necessity of formulating a state policy in the field of circulation of medicinal products and introducing mechanisms for its implementation, monitoring effectiveness in achieving the defined goals and priorities. Based on international standards, the technical and methodological support of the World Health Organization today is very urgent and valuable for all participants in the process,” she emphasized.

According to her, the Ministry of Health ensures the autonomy of subgroups and the mobilization of resources both at the national and international level, and facilitates access to the best methodological support for the sake of quality and objectivity of the process.

Hanne Buck Petersen reminded that the main goals and strategies aimed at by the National Medicines Policy should be the availability, quality and rational use of medicines, for the implementation of which it will be necessary to adjust:

– an effective and transparent system of procurement of medicinal products with state funds;

– improved access to medicines and medical devices through effective regulation in accordance with WHO recommendations;

– implementation of strategic long-term planning for the procurement of vaccines and essential vital medicines.

According to her, the national drug policy is an action plan with clear deadlines and strategies for their implementation, which should take into account the opinion of interested parties, be oriented to the dynamics of political processes, and adhere to constant monitoring and analysis of the situation.

As you know, the development of the National policy of medical supply was started with the participation of a wide range of participants in the pharmaceutical sector on January 25, 2016. The moderators and composition of the subgroups were chosen, the principles of interaction and the criteria for the formulation of documents were agreed, which will be the basis of the future National policy. Its main components, defined by the WHO, reflecting the directions of the work of each of the subgroups, are defined – these are, let’s recall, the selection of basic medicines, the availability of medicines, the financing of the medicine supply system, the establishment of the supply system, regulatory aspects and quality assurance of medicines, the rational use of medicines means, drug research, human resources development, monitoring and evaluation.

The event held on February 10 is the first of a series of technical and methodological sessions to support the process of developing the National Medicines Policy.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine