Ukraine has officially registered the first medicines based on medical cannabis — oral drops of a Spanish brand, the CF ‘Patients of Ukraine’ told HMH. These drugs are expected to appear in pharmacies in early 2025. This event became possible after the adoption of the law on the legalisation of medical cannabis, which allowed to create an appropriate legal framework for the introduction of medicines based on it.
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Olga Stefanyshyna, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, noted that the first manufacturer has already registered an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), which paves the way for the medicines to be put on sale. In addition to oral drops, in 2024 the Ministry of Health of Ukraine approved other forms of cannabis products, including hard capsules, dental pastes and gels.
Medical cannabis will be prescribed by doctors to treat chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, Tourette syndrome, drug-resistant epilepsy, childhood seizures, and HIV-related anorexia. However, the patient community emphasises the need to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in this list.
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Inna Ivanenko, Executive Director of the CF ‘Patients of Ukraine’. She noted that although the list of diseases is not yet sufficiently advanced, the possibility of prescribing medicines based on the conclusion of the medical advisory commission allows expanding access to treatment.
Medicines will be dispensed on the basis of an electronic prescription. Pharmacies that will sell these drugs must have the appropriate licences for retail trade, manufacturing of drugs and trafficking in narcotic substances.
Ganna Glushchenko, Head of International Partnerships at the Ukrainian Medical Cannabis Association, spoke about plans to train Ukrainian doctors in modern medical cannabis treatment methods through online courses in cooperation with the NHSU Academy.
The Ministry of Health estimates that about 6 million patients in Ukraine need medicines based on medical cannabis. Dmytro Sherembey, Chairman of the Coordination Council of CO ‘100% Life’, stressed the importance of access to these drugs, which allows millions of people to improve their quality of life.
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