Ukraine's Health Ministry proposes from August 1, 2016 introducing reference prices for medicines placed on the list of Ukrainian and imported medicines which healthcare institutions can buy using budget funds. It includes medicines refundable using budget funds.

The relevant draft cabinet resolution has been posted on the ministry's website for public discussion.

According to an explanatory note, the document is intended to provide for accessibility and affordability of medicines for the public via stabilizing prices on the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market. The measure would provide economic grounds for changing drug prices.

Healthcare institutions partially or fully financed from the national and local budgets buy medicines at prices which do not exceed declared changes in wholesale prices, adding value added tax and markups set in cabinet resolution No. 955 of October 17, 2008.

Changes of wholesale prices of medicines placed on the register of wholesale prices before the resolution was issued are to be declared to meet the requirements of this resolution until October 1, 2016.

The document proposes approving the procedure for changing wholesale drug prices.