Advertisements were to have been removed from all pharmacies as of July 1, 2012, the press service of the State Service for Medicine of Ukraine reported on Tuesday.
The service said that the requirement is stipulated in the license conditions for medicine production, wholesaling and retail sales.
"According to paragraph 2.12 of Section II of the license conditions, a sign notifying only the type of the facility should be installed on the façade of buildings were pharmacies are located: Pharmacy Warehouses (base), Pharmacies and Pharmacy Kiosks. Information on the company and the operating hours of the pharmacy is to be posted near the entrance of the pharmacy in plain view," reads the report of the service.
It is permitted to display information about the trademark of the company on a plate near the entrance to the pharmacy.
In some cases the names of pharmacies are not in line with the requirements of the law on the protection of consumer rights. These pharmacies are banned from carrying out unfair business practices, which includes carrying out actions that qualify as unfair competition and any actions that deceive buyers or are aggressive," reads the report.
The service has drawn up draft amendments to the license conditions that impose certain requirements on the name of the pharmacies, and it has been posted on the Web site of the Health Ministry for public discussion.
The amendments to the license conditions aims at removing from sale medicine that could deceive consumers in terms of its price or other price advantages, or change the social direction of the pharmacy from the practice of medicine sales.
