Starting from January 1, 2025, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine is implementing new rules for conducting psychiatric examinations, aimed at strengthening control over this process. This initiative aims to reduce the risks of abuse and ensure a more transparent process for issuing psychiatric certificates.
Read more: Sex discrimination: legal aspects and mechanisms for protecting the rights of victims
New requirements for medical institutions
According to the new rules, certificates for psychiatric examinations (including preliminary, periodic, and extraordinary examinations, as well as examinations for psychoactive substance use) will only be issued by medical institutions that meet several conditions:
- Licensing in the specialty of “Psychiatry” – the medical institution must have a license for psychiatric practice.
- Contract with the NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund) – the medical institution must sign a contract with the National Health Insurance Fund for the relevant service packages.
- Use of the electronic health care system (EHCS) – the institution must work within the electronic health care system (EHCS), ensuring transparency in the process.
In addition, licensed medical institutions of state structures such as the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the State Special Communications Service, which provide medical assistance, will also be authorized to conduct psychiatric examinations.
The process of conducting examinations
The psychiatric examination will be conducted only by a qualified psychiatrist, registered in the EHCS system. Importantly, the certificate of the examination will be valid for 12 months from the date it was issued, ensuring that the information about the patient’s health is up-to-date.
How this will impact the system
The changes in the psychiatric examination system are designed not only to improve control over the quality of services provided but also to prevent potential abuses. Currently, 904 medical institutions (1517 service locations) across Ukraine are contracted with the NHIF to provide outpatient, inpatient, and mobile medical services under the “Psychological and Psychiatric Assistance” program. These institutions will be able to conduct psychiatric examinations according to the new requirements.
Transparency and combating forgery
One of the key goals of the changes is to ensure transparency in the psychiatric examination process. By using the electronic health care system (EHCS), all data will be clearly recorded and accessible for verification. This will significantly reduce the risk of forged psychiatric certificates, which could be used for fraudulent purposes.
Entry into force
The changes, as outlined in Order No. 1759 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, dated October 15, 2024, will come into force on January 1, 2025. These changes will be an important step toward improving the quality of medical services and combating fraud in the psychiatric field.
Thanks to these innovations, the process of obtaining psychiatric certificates will become more controlled and transparent, which will increase public trust in medical institutions and ensure better quality medical services for the citizens of Ukraine.
 will only be issued by medical institutions that meet several conditions){kind=link}