Taking care of your health is important for everyone, everywhere, regardless of whether the place of residence is permanent or temporary. This is especially important for patients with internally displaced status who have chronic diseases or conditions and need regular medication.
Internally displaced persons can receive medicines free of charge or with a partial co-payment through the Affordable Medicines reimbursement program, which is part of the Medical Guarantee Program.
Reimbursement means full or partial compensation to pharmacies for the cost of medicines or medical devices dispensed to a patient on the basis of an electronic prescription, using Medical Guarantee Program funds. This reimbursement mechanism covers the most common chronic diseases that are effectively treated at the outpatient level.
The reimbursement program includes medicines with proven effectiveness. At present, the Affordable Medicines program covers more than 500 trade names in the following areas:
treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including prevention of strokes and heart attacks
treatment of diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, and type 2 diabetes
insulin products
medical devices for measuring blood glucose levels, including test strips
medicines for chronic lower respiratory diseases, including asthma
medicines for mental and behavioral disorders and epilepsy
medicines for Parkinson's disease
immunosuppressive medicines for post-transplant patients
opioid analgesics for palliative cancer patients
Book an appointment with a primary care doctor — a family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician. Based on your health condition and medical indications, the doctor will either issue an electronic prescription or refer you to a specialist.
The patient's route depends on the type of illness:
for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and bronchial asthma — a family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician
for insulin products or treatment of diabetes insipidus — an endocrinologist
for treatment of mental and behavioral disorders — a psychiatrist
for epilepsy treatment — a psychiatrist or neurologist
for Parkinson's disease — a neurologist
for immunosuppressive medicines in the post-transplant period — a transplant coordinator
for opioid analgesics — a family or attending doctor
During the appointment, the specialist doctor creates a treatment plan in the electronic healthcare system and issues the first electronic prescription. The patient receives an SMS with a 16-digit prescription code. If the patient does not have a phone, the doctor can print an information note with the code.
Based on the treatment plan, subsequent electronic prescriptions may be issued by a primary care doctor: family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician. For immunosuppressive medicines, prescriptions are always created only by the transplant coordinator.
The electronic prescription is valid for 30 days. To receive medicines next time, the patient must contact the doctor again, either in person or by phone.
Visit a pharmacy that has an NHSU contract, provide the 16-digit prescription code, and receive the medicines free of charge or with a partial co-payment.
such pharmacies or pharmacy points can be identified by the sign on the door saying "Affordable Medicines available here"
call the NHSU contact center at 16-77, and the operator will tell you where the nearest contracted pharmacy dispensing the required medicines is located
find the nearest contracted pharmacy using the NHSU dashboard "Electronic map of medicine dispensing locations by ePrescription"
use the option of ordering Affordable Medicines through Ukrposhta by calling the Ukrposhta contact center at 0 800 300 545
find a pharmacy through the chatbot "Ask Hryts"
The Medical Guarantee Program ensures equal access for all Ukrainians to the same list of free medical services regardless of internally displaced status. More information about free medical services available under the Medical Guarantee Program can be found in the electronic guide "Guide to the Medical Guarantee Program for Patients 2024".
Download the guide