Taking care of your health is important for everyone, everywhere, regardless of whether you have a permanent or temporary place of residence. This issue is especially critical for internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have chronic conditions and require regular medication.
IDPs can receive medications for free or with partial payment by using the “Available Medicines” reimbursement program, which is part of the Medical Guarantees Program.
Reimbursement is the full or partial compensation to pharmacies for the cost of medicines or medical devices dispensed to a patient based on an e-prescription, funded by the Medical Guarantees Program. This reimbursement mechanism covers the most common chronic diseases, which are effectively treated at the outpatient level.
What medications can be obtained for free or with partial payment?
The reimbursement program includes medications with proven effectiveness. Currently, “Available Medicines” covers over 500 trade names in the following areas:
- Treatment of cardiovascular diseases (including the prevention of strokes and heart attacks)
- Treatment of diabetes mellitus and insipidus, type 2 diabetes
- Insulin preparations
- Medical devices for measuring blood glucose levels (test strips)
- Treatment of chronic lower respiratory tract diseases (asthma)
- Treatment of mental and behavioral disorders, epilepsy
- Treatment of Parkinson’s disease
- Immunosuppressive drugs for post-transplant patients
- Opioid analgesics (pain relief for palliative cancer patients)
You can find the full list of medications included in the reimbursement program in the Register of Medicines and Medical Devices here.
How to get medications under the reimbursement program?
- Consult a doctor
Make an appointment with a primary care doctor (family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician). Based on a health assessment and medical indications, the doctor will refer you to a specialist and/or issue an e-prescription.
The patient’s route will vary depending on the disease:
- For cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, or bronchial asthma – consult a family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician.
- For insulin or diabetes insipidus treatment – consult an endocrinologist.
- For treatment of mental and behavioral disorders – consult a psychiatrist.
- For epilepsy treatment – consult a psychiatrist or neurologist.
- For Parkinson’s disease – consult a neurologist.
- Immunosuppressive drugs for post-transplant patients – the transplant coordinator.
- To obtain opioid analgesics – consult a family or attending physician.
- Get an e-prescription During the visit, the specialist doctor will create a treatment plan in the electronic health system and issue the first e-prescription. The patient will receive an SMS with a 16-digit code from the electronic health system. If no phone is available, the doctor can print out an information sheet with the code. Note: Based on the treatment plan, subsequent e-prescriptions can be issued by a primary care physician (family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician). For immunosuppressive drugs, the prescription is always created by the transplant coordinator. The e-prescription is valid for 30 days. For the next prescription, you must contact the doctor again, either in person or by phone.
- Get your medication at the nearest pharmacy participating in the reimbursement program Visit a pharmacy contracted with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU), provide the 16-digit prescription code, and receive your medication for free or with partial payment.
How to find a pharmacy participating in the reimbursement program?
- Look for pharmacies displaying a sticker on their doors: “Available Medicines.”
- Call the NHSU contact center at 16-77. The operator will tell you where the nearest pharmacy with an NHSU contract is located.
- Find the nearest pharmacy through the NHSU dashboard: Electronic Map of Pharmacies Dispensing Medicines by ePrescription. Use the left menu to select your location and the appropriate reimbursement program. The dashboard will show the relevant pharmacies with addresses and contact numbers. We recommend calling ahead to confirm the medication is available.
- Use the option to order “Available Medicines” via Ukrposhta. Call the Ukrposhta contact center at 0 800 300 545 and follow the voice menu prompts. Note: Narcotic drugs and insulins cannot be ordered or delivered. For more details on how to order medications via Ukrposhta, click here.
- Find a pharmacy using the “Spytai Grytsia” chatbot: https://t.me/SpytaiGrytsia_bot. Follow the chatbot’s instructions, and it will direct you to the nearest pharmacy.
The Medical Guarantees Program ensures that all Ukrainians have equal access to free medical services, regardless of IDP status. Learn more about free medical services available under the Medical Guarantees Program in the 2024 “Guide to the Medical Guarantees Program for Patients” electronic guidebook. You can download the guide here.