The Ministry of Health explained when medicines based on cannabis can be purchased in Ukraine.

In the near future, patients in need will be able to receive medicines based on medical cannabis. The production and dispensing of such medicines will be registered in the electronic system of medical cannabis circulation accounting (ESMCCA) and will be carried out only on the basis of an e-prescription in the electronic health system.

According to the Ministry of Health, the direct dispensing of medicines in pharmacies will begin when the appropriate plant substances for the production of medicines in a pharmacy or ready-made medicines are supplied to the Ukrainian market.

All operations with medical cannabis will be recorded in the ESMCCA. This centralized platform for accounting, monitoring, and controlling the circulation of cannabis for medical purposes will record over 35 types of operations related to 13 types of accounting objects. The electronic system is created on the Diia.Engine platform.

All business entities (legal entities, individual entrepreneurs) engaged in medical cannabis circulation activities will be registered in the ESMCCA.

For example, these are:

• pharmacies that plan to produce medicinal products from cannabis plant substances;
• healthcare institutions that plan to use ready-made medicinal products or medicinal products made in a pharmacy from medical cannabis in their medical practice;
• importers who plan to import cannabis seeds or planting material for medical purposes, cannabis plant substances for the production (manufacturing) of medicinal products or ready-made medicinal products from medical cannabis into Ukraine.

The prescribing and dispensing of ready-made or extemporaneous medicines (i.e., made in a pharmacy) will only be carried out based on an e-prescription. As before, an e-prescription can be issued by the patient's attending physician (both primary and specialized medical care). Medicines by e-prescription can only be purchased in a pharmacy that has the appropriate license to conduct business activities in the field of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors circulation.

"All operations with medical cannabis will be controlled - from the initial stages of importing cannabis for medical purposes into Ukraine to the final dispensing of medicinal products. Developed electronic solutions will allow integrating all participants into a single information ecosystem and ensure process automation," said Maria Karchevich, Deputy Minister of Health for Digital Development.