Exclusive In pharmacies it will be possible to get vaccinated not only against the flu, but also with other vaccines not included in the National Vaccination Calendar.
Deputy Minister, Chief State Sanitary Doctor Igor Kuzin said this in a comment to Ukrinform.
“Even before the start of the full-scale invasion, we tested flu vaccination in pharmacies at the Kyiv level. This pilot was about flu vaccination, because it is a seasonal disease and this vaccine is often purchased at the pharmacy chain. This was very convenient because a person did not have to think about maintaining the cold chain, how to deliver the vaccine from the pharmacy to the healthcare facility. Therefore, we are still considering the possibility of vaccination with off-schedule vaccinations. This is a vaccine against human papillomavirus, pneumococcal infection, and influenza. If there are vaccines (at the pharmacy – ed.) that are outside the vaccination calendar, then people will also be able to get these vaccinations at the pharmacy. This is a broad vaccination with all non-scheduled vaccines that can be sold in retail stores in pharmacies,” said Kuzin.
At the same time, he noted that for now we are not talking about routine vaccination in pharmacies, since vaccines for vaccinations according to the National Calendar, vaccinations are purchased with funds from the state budget or provided as humanitarian aid.
“The principle of reimbursement, which is familiar to us, does not work here, when the state compensates for the cost of a drug. Moreover, a certain part of the vaccines are now humanitarian. If, according to modern legislation, a humanitarian vaccine is transferred to a pharmacy, it will lose its status as a commercial business entity. Therefore, there are certain legal difficulties in expanding vaccination services in pharmacies and vaccinations. But we will look at the results of this first stage to see how much demand this service will have, how widespread it will be and what range the pharmacy business will offer,” Kuzin emphasized.
He noted that the introduction of vaccination, in particular against influenza, in pharmacies the goal is to demedicalize vaccination services.
“If you look at European and world experience, a doctor is very rarely involved in the vaccination process. More often than not, this is a nursing or paramedic question. And vaccination in pharmacies and shopping centers is increasingly spreading, and Covid was one of the drivers that showed the effectiveness and convenience of vaccination centers for the population,” Kuzin emphasized.
According to him, the resolution currently adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers , which opens up access to vaccination in pharmacies, has not yet entered into force, the government has adopted the first part of regulations, so it is not yet known how many pharmacies will be ready to provide vaccination services.
“Pharmacy chain institutions must obtain a license to provide medical care and must fulfill a certain set of requirements for the availability of personnel, access to a medical information system, and architectural solutions. The pharmacy must have a separate room, a waiting area and some other standards. After obtaining such a license, a pharmacy institution can provide such a service using a simplified mechanism,” Kuzin said.
As Ukrinform reported, in early March, the Ministry of Health announced the adoption by the Cabinet of Ministers of a resolution opening access to seasonal flu vaccination in pharmacies. The government's decision comes into force three months after its publication. During this time, the regulatory framework will be changed to ensure the implementation of the project, consultations will be held and a verified list of business entities that will express a desire to obtain a license and conduct vaccinations by pharmaceutical workers will be held.
A pilot project on flu vaccination in pharmacies was held in Kyiv in November 2023. Also, a flu vaccination project in pharmacies took place in Rivne.