The Association of Pharmacists of Ukraine opposes the sale of medicines at gas stations
19 December 13:15
The Association of Pharmacists of Ukraine (AFPU) has sharply criticized the government’s initiative to allow retail sales of over-the-counter medicines at gas stations. According to the professional community, such changes pose direct risks to patients’ health, undermine pharmaceutical safety and contradict current legislation. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the organization’s press release.
It is about the amendments to the License Terms proposed by the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control, which, according to the FSA, have nothing to do with the real increase in the availability of medicines.
Pharmacy is a healthcare facility, not a point of sale
The RAFU emphasizes that according to the legislation of Ukraine, a pharmacy is a healthcare facility and the only legal place for retail sale of medicines. Its functions are not limited to sales – they also include:
- pharmaceutical counseling
- quality control of medicinal products
- compliance with storage conditions;
- participation in the pharmacovigilance system.
According to pharmacists, gas stations are not capable of performing these tasks by their nature, staffing and functional purpose.
Even OTC medicines are not “ordinary goods”
The FPA emphasizes that even over-the-counter medicines require the professional involvement of a pharmacist. It is the pharmacist who can assess the symptoms, pay attention to possible contraindications, check drug compatibility and warn about the risks of self-medication.
According to the EBA, the reaction of pharmacists on social media is not emotion, but an alarm signal: if medicines can be sold without a specialist, the question arises as to the feasibility of pharmaceutical education as such.
“The sale of medicines at gas stations will actually mean recognizing the profession of pharmacist as optional and pharmaceutical care as secondary, which is an unacceptable and dangerous approach. The reaction of pharmacists on social media to this regulatory initiative is not emotion, it is an alarm. If medicines can be sold at gas stations, then why does the state invest in pharmaceutical education at all,” the FSA emphasizes.
Risks of storage and falsification
Special attention is paid to the storage conditions of medicines. A significant part of OTC drugs requires:
- strict temperature conditions
- protection from light;
- constant monitoring of expiration dates.
According to the FSA, gas stations do not have the necessary infrastructure and pharmaceutical control procedures. The absence of a responsible person and systemic supervision creates risks of low-quality or counterfeit medicines entering the market.
The argument about “accessibility” does not stand up to criticism
The pharmaceutical community also refutes the arguments about the low availability of medicines. There is already a dense pharmacy network in Ukraine, including round-the-clock pharmacies and delivery services.
According to the FSA, transferring sales to gas stations will not solve the problem of access, but will only
- duplicate sales channels
- create dangerous competition;
- may lead to the closure of pharmacies in small communities, rural and frontline areas.
“Where there is no pharmacist, there is no safety”
Olena Omelchuk, Head of the Association of Pharmacists of Ukraine, emphasizes that the state has been building the pharmaceutical care system for decades for a reason.
“The sale of medicines without pharmaceutical advice inevitably leads to dosage errors, dangerous self-medication and delayed medical care. That is why the state has been building a pharmaceutical care system for decades, not because “it happened historically,” emphasizes Omelchuk.
According to her, abandoning this system under the guise of simplifying access means lowering health care standards.
Appeal to the authorities: do not experiment with patient safety
The FFU considers the initiative to be legally unbalanced, hasty and dangerous, and its long-term consequences are difficult to predict. It is not only about individual risks, but also about the systemic undermining of pharmaceutical safety, which is a component of Ukraine’s national security.
The EBA categorically opposes any compromise models – “pilot projects”, “limited lists” or other attempts to legalize the sale of medicines at gas stations.
Experts call on the authorities to engage in an open professional dialogue and make decisions in the field of medicines circulation solely on the basis of the law, the principles of pharmaceutical safety and protection of patients’ interests, rather than short-term management decisions.
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