About the resource
A website for the National Catalog of Drug Prices has gone live in Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Health, it is a public registry that contains data on manufacturers' and importers' maximum wholesale prices, as well as calculated maximum retail prices that take markups and taxes into account.
What exactly will be in the catalog
The catalog provides detailed information on each medicine: international and trade names, dosage form and strength, manufacturer and holder of the registration certificate, country of origin, pharmacotherapeutic group and registration number. For consumers it also makes available the drug category (prescription/over‑the‑counter, original/generic), the declared wholesale price and the calculated maximum retail price.
Why this matters now
At a time when logistics and medicine supplies are under pressure, pricing transparency becomes not a declaration but a tool of security. The catalog enables prices to be monitored on lawful grounds, reduces room for manipulation and gives patients a clear benchmark for the cost of medicines.
"The catalog is intended to make the pharmaceutical market more open and predictable for patients and the regulator"
— Ministry of Health of Ukraine
Practical effect for people and the market
Patients gain a simple tool to compare prices and check whether they are overpaying for medicines. For the pharmaceutical market the resource means public data, convenient tools for analysis and the ability to produce structured reports for interaction with the regulator. Market analysts say that continuous data updates should reduce information asymmetry between manufacturers, pharmacies and consumers.
Reforms in context
The launch of the catalog coincided with a number of Cabinet decisions aimed at improving access to medicines: at the end of September changes were adopted that simplify the supply of medicines to FAPs (feldsher‑obstetric stations), focusing on the real needs of communities; on December 27 it was allowed to sell over‑the‑counter medicines on gas station premises. Together, these steps change logistics and points of sale — the catalog adds transparency to this process.
Conclusion
The launch of the National Catalog of Prices is a step from declarations to instrumental market control. For the effect to be felt, regular data updates and active monitoring by the regulator and the public are needed. For now — it is a simple way to protect your wallet and demand a fair price for medicines: check before buying.
