Two days ago, on the eve of the introduction of electronic prescriptions, Ukrainians began storming pharmacies - the panic arose because everyone thought that all medicines would be sold by prescription.

Only after that, the Ministry of Health clarified that the rules have not changed since April 1.

However, the shelves in pharmacies have already been significantly emptied due to the hype. 

TSN correspondent Margarita Potapova raided the capital's pharmacies and found out what the current situation is there. 

The pharmacy excitement subsided.

People no longer line up for medical drugs.

on the other hand, medicines that were previously sold by prescription also disappeared.

TSN correspondents searched the capital's pharmacies in search of a popular painkiller, which is sold only by prescription.

The pharmacist says that two days ago, most of the drugs were wiped off the shelves.

Several pharmacies have confirmed to us that this remedy has disappeared from the shelves due to excessive hype. 

The Ministry of Health assured that the rules for buying medicines remain unchanged even after people started storming pharmacies.

Viktor Lyashko emphasized on his page in social networks that the list of prescription drugs will not be expanded.

Instead, people complain on social networks that the medicines they need have disappeared from pharmacies. 

"From April 1, not only a paper form is allowed, but also an electronic prescription, that's all the changes," says Lesya Valova, manager of the pharmacy. 

These changes have already been called a failure of communication from the Ministry of Health.

The main thing, pharmacists say, that the department should have emphasized is that the list of medicines will not be expanded.

As a result, now, in order to purchase the prescribed drug, one should either wait for new releases in pharmacies, or buy an analogue. 

"We associate the hype with the fact that people have the wrong idea that all medicines will be dispensed with a prescription, but this is not the case. Even the elderly have learned to use electronic prescriptions. I believe that you should not be afraid of them, you can safely receive and use them ", - says Lesya Valova. 

Doctors have been prescribing electronic prescriptions for hypertensive, diabetic and asthmatic patients for several years.

The introduction of an e-prescription does not exclude a paper version of a doctor's appointment, the Ministry of Health emphasizes.

Prescriptions will become fully electronic after the end of martial law. 

Excitement in Ukrainian pharmacies: what happened

From April 2023, all prescription drugs will be dispensed only by prescription.

Currently, a paper prescription will operate in parallel with the electronic one.

In Ukraine, about 60% of registered medicines are prescription drugs, which require a doctor's prescription.

The rest of the medicines that do not require a doctor's prescription can, as before, be purchased at a pharmacy without a special prescription.

Due to a lack of understanding of the situation in Ukraine, excitement broke out in pharmacies.

On March 31, people tried to buy various medicines in order to allegedly catch up with the introduction of these prescriptions.

In Kyiv and many other cities, there were huge queues at pharmacies. 

It will not be possible to purchase the popular painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug "Nimesyl" and its analogues without a prescription from a doctor.

All hormonal drugs will be released by prescription, including hormonal contraceptives.

Even the "emergency" contraceptive "Postinor", which is most effective on the first day after unprotected intercourse, cannot be purchased without a prescription.

Read also:

  • From April, all prescription drugs will be issued by electronic prescription

  • "Nimesyl is the new buckwheat": Ukrainians exploded with memes due to the sale of prescription drugs (photo)

  • Queues and excitement in pharmacies due to e-prescription: what the Ministry of Health thinks about it