First medicines based on medical cannabis registered in Ukraine

The first medicines made from medical cannabis have been registered in Ukraine. Illustrative photo from Pixabay

The first medicines based on medical cannabis have been officially registered in Ukraine. These are oral drops of a Spanish brand, and they may appear in Ukrainian pharmacies in early 2025.

This was reported by the charity fund «Patients of Ukraine».

The medicines will be dispensed exclusively on the basis of an electronic prescription from a doctor in the patient's name. Pharmacies that will manufacture these drugs must have three licences: for retail trade, manufacturing of medicines and trafficking of narcotic substances.

In addition to oral drops, pharmacies will soon be able to sell hard capsules, dental pastes, and cannabis gels. The Ministry of Health approved these forms of medicines in 2024.

«Millions of patients are waiting for access to advanced medical cannabis treatment in Ukraine. In just a few months, patients will be able to get rid of pain and other severe manifestations of diseases and improve the quality of their lives», said Dmytro Sherembei, Chairman of the Coordination Council of the CO «100% Life».

The foundation also reminded that the list of diseases and conditions for which doctors can prescribe medical cannabis treatment has already been approved. However, the organisation considers this list to be insufficiently progressive, as it does not mention post-traumatic stress disorder.

As a reminder, the law on the legalisation of medical cannabis regulates the circulation of cannabis plants for medical, industrial, scientific and technical purposes.