Ukraine pharma group APRaD appeals 5% VAT on imported medicines

Ukraine’s Association of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (APRaD) in cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine has appealed to the Minister of Health of Ukraine (Alexander Kvitashvili), Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine (Ayvarus Abromavychus) and the head of the VR Health Care Committee (Olga Bohomolets) about the introduction of additional 5%VAT on imported medicines and its influence on public procurement.

In this letter, experts of the international pharmaceutical industry, represented by the APRaD and the Chamber emphasized the possible negative consequences of the introduction of an additional 5% import duty even temporarily for a period of 12 months as stated in the law. Any additional costs will inevitably affect the increasing of the final price on medicines that in turn will affect every Ukrainian. Patients’ lives with severe chronic and fatal diseases such as hemophilia, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, etc - will be under serious threat because the imported medicines may gradually disappear from pharmacies and hospitals.

Provisions of the law will impact access to innovative medicines