Analysis of the regulatory framework governing the performance of pharmacies' functions with regard to socially oriented trends

In the context of martial law, the timely updating of the regulatory framework is of particular importance to ensure a timely response to changes in the population's needs for pharmaceutical care and services. The aim of the study was to analyse the regulatory framework governing the provision of pharmaceutical care and services to the population, taking into account socially oriented trends in the functioning of pharmacies in Ukraine. The research materials include Ukrainian legislation, information from official websites of Ukrainian state bodies and scientific articles. The methods used are analysis, synthesis, classification, grouping, descent from the abstract to the concrete, historical, content analysis, comparative, systemic, graphic methods of analysis. The study found that the Law of Ukraine of 28.07.2022 N 2469-IX «On Medicines» for the first time defined such concepts as «pharmaceutical care» and «pharmaceutical service», which allows pharmacies to focus their activities on the implementation of socio-economic, information and communication, social and humanitarian functions. The author notes that a number of regulations have been introduced to ensure the efficient performance of the socio-economic function of pharmacies, in particular, it is established that the mechanism of reimbursement of medicines and medical devices is used to implement medical guarantee programmes in outpatient settings; pharmacists are now legally entitled to provide vaccinations to the public, provided that the pharmacies comply with the requirements for medical practice licensing. It should be noted that a number of sectoral regulations have been approved for the commercial and production functions of pharmacies. The results of the analysis of the amendments and additions to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 929 dated 30.11.2016 «On Approval of Licensing Conditions for Conducting Economic Activities for the Production of Medicines, Wholesale and Retail Trade in Medicines, import of medicines (except active pharmaceutical ingredients)» show that the Government's initiatives are aimed at introducing and regulating economic activities for electronic retail trade in medicines, requirements for the qualification level of personnel, conditions for free access to the Internet, and other relevant information. It is determined that a significant part of the regulatory legal acts which should form the social profile of pharmacies through their implementation of information and communication and social and humanitarian functions are currently declarative in nature, which justifies the expediency of introducing legal and administrative measures to ensure that pharmacists provide effective, high-quality pharmaceutical care and pharmaceutical services.