The legislation for introducing reference pricing and implementing the reimbursement program is to be ready by late December, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

"The top priority tasks of the State Service for Medicinal Products are the introduction of reference pricing, relaxation of medicine registration and reimbursement. We are to quickly start implementing these tasks. Actually in December we are to manage to draw up the legislation and hold meetings with representatives of the pharmaceutical business," he wrote on his Facebook page after a meeting with the newly appointed head of the State Service for Medicinal Products of Ukraine Natalia Hudz.

The prime minister said that he is ready to help to carry out measures aimed at cutting prices of medicines.

"I as a prime minister am ready to help as much as it is needed, call a meeting and see where there are things that would influence the reduction of medicine prices. Those who will resist reforms will be severely punished," he said.

"In January I intend to look at the first results: where we have the fall [in the prices], where there are irregularities and what type of punishment was applied to unfair market players. The medicines would have a fair price and high quality and that's it," Groysman said.