Twelve gas station chains are now authorized to sell medications: the MedDrugs Control has announced which ones have received licenses
11 June 19:53
In Ukraine, 12 businesses have already obtained licenses to sell over-the-counter medications at gas stations, including the OKKO, Ukrnafta, UPG, BRSM, KLO, and SOCAR chains. This was announced by Andriy Dolgovskyi, Head of the Department for Control and Licensing of Economic Activities in the Wholesale and Retail Trade of Medicines at the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines, during the roundtable discussion “Medicines Outside Pharmacies: Initial Results, Safety Risks, and the Future of the Pharmaceutical Market,” reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
“Currently, there are 273 points of sale for medicines at gas stations in Ukraine. This is less than 1% of the total number of traditional pharmacies. Most of these points of sale are located in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, and Lviv Oblast. In total, 19 regions of Ukraine have joined the project,” he said.
At the same time, according to him, the sale of medicines at gas stations is not yet available in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Chernivtsi regions.
The day before, the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines issued the relevant license to the SOCAR network. Licenses have also been granted to OKKO, UPG, BRSM, KLO, and “Ukrnafta,” which operates through four business entities and sells medications at 93 of its gas stations.
“About 40% of the points of sale for medicines at gas stations are located near villages and small towns,” said Dolgovsky.
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It was also reported during the roundtable discussions that total revenue from all sales points at gas stations over three months of operation amounted to approximately 354,000 UAH. The most commonly purchased items at gas stations are ibuprofen, paracetamol, nasal drops, and activated charcoal.
As a reminder: Starting in March 2026, Ukrainians will be able to purchase over-the-counter medications at gas stations, specifically through special vending machines. Authorities justified this decision by citing the need to increase access to medications, particularly in frontline areas.
What the new rules entail
Under the new rules, only over-the-counter medications may be sold at gas stations, provided that the storage conditions specified by the manufacturer are met. Medications must be stored separately. The licensing requirements for the production, sale, and import of medicines stipulate that only a responsible person—that is, a pharmacist—is authorized to dispense medicines to a patient and must consult with the customer. Therefore, these rules also apply to gas stations.
In addition, gas stations are now permitted to sell medicines in special vending machines, provided that storage conditions are met. All new rules will take effect two months after the adoption of the resolution, that is, at the end of February.
The Cabinet of Ministers justified all these changes with a decision by the National Security and Defense Council on ensuring the availability of medicines. The document was drafted by the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control.
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