Who will be prescribed medical cannabis and how much will it cost: the new system was discussed in the Rada
Discussions are ongoing in Ukraine regarding the further implementation of the medical cannabis system and the removal of practical obstacles that remain for patients. Specifically, this concerns the categories of patients who may be prescribed such medications, the pharmaceutical forms allowed to be dispensed in pharmacies, the cost of treatment, the licensing procedure for cultivation and quota issuance, as well as the mechanisms for doctors to prescribe medications and their dispensing via electronic prescriptions. This issue was considered during a roundtable at the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health.
For Ukrainian patients to be able to treat or relieve pain with medical cannabis-based medications, Ukraine had to go through a difficult path. In 2020, at the initiative of the President, a nationwide survey was held in which 70% supported the legalization of medical cannabis. At the end of 2023, the Verkhovna Rada passed the relevant law, which came into force in the summer of 2024.
Currently, the legislative system is already functioning: the first licensed producers have appeared, electronic prescriptions have been introduced, and some patients have already received treatment with medical cannabis-based medications.
The Committee on National Health, Medical Care, and Medical Insurance noted that an important advantage of the new system is the complete electronic traceability of medication circulation—from the moment of the doctor’s prescription to receiving the medicine at the pharmacy.
This model allows control over the circulation of medications and minimizes the risks of abuse.
Dispensing of medical cannabis-based medications is carried out by pharmacies that have the appropriate licenses.
According to the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control, about 36 municipal and 30 private business entities have obtained such licenses for 180 places of activity.
It is noted that currently such medications can be purchased in six pharmacies of licensed operators in Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi.
Medical cannabis-based drugs are prescribed according to the list of diseases and conditions approved by the Ministry of Health. They can only be obtained with an electronic prescription from a primary or specialized medical care doctor.
It should also be noted that the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has taken another step towards the practical implementation of the medical cannabis system. By the Ministry of Health order dated May 29, 2026, No. 706, changes were made to the Rules for the production (manufacture) and quality control of medicines in pharmacies. The document for the first time clearly defines how Ukrainian pharmacies should manufacture medicines from the plant substance cannabis, who has the right to do so, how their quality will be controlled, and under what conditions such medications can be obtained by patients.
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