Medicines made from medical cannabis will be dispensed not only at the manufacturer’s pharmacy

Patients in Ukraine will have expanded access to medicines based on medical cannabis. The relevant changes were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. The decision was announced by the Ministry of Health (moz.gov.ua).

Pharmacy-compounded medicines will be available not only at the pharmacy where they were prepared. They may also be dispensed at other pharmacies and pharmacy outlets operated by the same license holder. The rules for transporting, storing, and dispensing these medicines remain unchanged.

Another part of the government’s decision tightens requirements for opioid agonist therapy (OAT) facilities. Their premises must:

• be non-residential;
• be separate from other premises;
• have a separate entrance.

Requirements for record-keeping of medicines and staff qualifications at these facilities have also been updated.

The new rules will take effect two months after the resolution is officially published.

Previously, we reported:

• Historic step: Ukraine issues its first electronic prescription for medical cannabis
• Ukraine legalizes medical cannabis: a historic step toward new treatment options
• The Cabinet of Ministers removed cannabis from the list of hard drugs
• Medical cannabis legalized in Ukraine
• Cabinet of Ministers supports bill providing for the legalization of medical cannabis