In Ukraine, medicines will be sold at gas stations; two chains have already received licenses
The sale of medicines at gas stations will become legal after licenses are issued to two operators, increasing convenience for drivers and passengers
Two Ukrainian fuel station chains — OKKO and “Ukrnafta” — received licenses for the retail sale of medicinal products, with the first five stations already admitted to trading; this became known before March 11.
The intention of the fuel stations to enter the pharmaceutical market and the progress of licensing was reported by “Ekonomichna Pravda”, citing information from the State Medicines Service.
The agency clarified that applications from OKKO and “Ukrnafta” to obtain permits were submitted before March 11, after which valid licenses were issued at five sites of these networks.
The Ministry of Health notes that the appearance of fuel stations among sellers of over-the-counter medicines could potentially increase competition and affect prices, but for now the main emphasis is on the availability of medicines for consumers, not on price reductions.
At the same time, the “Ekonomichna Pravda” piece draws attention to skepticism about the prospects of fuel stations becoming notable participants in the pharmacy market.
“However, few believe that fuel stations will become full-fledged market players. It is unclear how interested they will be in selling over-the-counter medicines, since the markup on them is limited to 35%”.
