Development of the national medicines policy regarding the system of medicines circulation

The health of a nation depends on many factors, among which pharmaceutical provision of the population holds pride of place. The appropriate level of pharmaceutical provision under guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) requires the development of the National Medicines Policy (NMP), which is implemented through a socially effective state policy on medicines circulation, i.e., creation, production, quality control, and sale of medicines. According to the WHO methodology, the NMP should pursue global goals: accessibility, quality, and rational use of medicines, on the principles of publicity, openness, reasonableness, and transparency. The author puts forward elements and tools as components of the mechanism of implementation of NMP goals, which embrace all spheres of medicines circulation in Ukraine: pharmaceutical production, pharmaceutical supply system, pharmacy network, rational use of drugs, etc. The substantiation of priority principles in ensuring citizens’ access to medicines has shown the relevance of their determination at management levels (international, national, regional, and microeconomic). The NMP priority in achieving the availability of medicines and their rational use is the improvement of the National List of Essential Medicines, as the state cannot reimburse drug costs of the public. The assessment of the NMP implementation should be conducted under WHO indicators. This makes it possible to carry out an impartial analysis of the pharmaceutical provision of the population and elicit shortcomings at national and regional levels and the level of healthcare institutions. The NMP implementation in the healthcare system and pharmacy is carried out through the relevant regulatory policy of the state, which needs efficacy evaluation. The analysis of factors influencing the NMP development has allowed the author to establish a varied activity and influence peddling on setting priorities of different control objects, principally of political and financial groups, as well manufacturers and large pharmacy chains. Despite the overwhelming number of pharmaceutical workers in pharmacies, their activity and influence on the NMP development are low; this also concerns scientists, the public, and patients.

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