On June 30, 2017, SIAPS closed its office in Ukraine. Since 2011, SIAPS worked with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other stakeholders strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical systems and enhancing transparency of procurement practices and rational medicine use.
SIAPS provided assistance to streamline medicine selection by harmonizing the essential medicines list (EML). This was done through coordination of stakeholders, development of legislation, establishment of the EML expert committee and conducting a health technology assessment, thereby institutionalizing the medicines selection process. The government adopted the new EML in March 2017 as the sole list of medicines eligible for public procurement.
From 2015 to 2016, the program also led a national supply chain assessment that systematically reviewed existing supply chain gaps and prioritized them according to the impact they might have once addressed. The assessment provided a comprehensive picture of the capabilities and performance of the national medicine supply chain system and recommendations for improvement. The Government of Ukraine used the data during the decision-making process for the health care reform initiative. These achievements are the first steps to efficiently enhance the availability of quality medicines in Ukraine.
The program has also transformed Ukraine’s pharmaceutical system by piloting a drug utilization review that highlighted improvements and challenges for medicine use in the country. Stakeholders became more aware of each other’s roles, resulting in improved coordination and collaboration while improving rational medicine use.
SIAPS’s work was instrumental in building institutional capacity by improving the management of pharmaceutical information and the quality of care and ensuring effective treatment to help Ukraine develop a national response against HIV and TB. SIAPS and its predecessor program assisted the Ukrainian MOH in implementing e-TB Manager, a web-based software, as the national TB registry. Using e-TB Manager has decreased the time needed to prepare TB reports while increasing compliance with quarterly reporting guidelines and adherence to national TB treatment protocols.
As of 2016, e-TB Manager had more than 1,300 active users in nearly 600 health facilities, rendering a valuable impact in Ukraine by improving the system of evaluation and providing a best-practice example that can be used for other public health programs.
SIAPS also supported the implementation of framework contracting to improve procurement practices in two oblasts in Ukraine through a consultative process involving health facilities, the private sector, and the civil society.
The key achievements of SIAPS can also be found in the contribution to Ukraine’s health care reform and the development of a national medicines policy as well as a pharmacovigilance automated information system to monitor adverse drug reactions and improve reporting practices. The significant support offered at each level of Ukraine’s pharmaceutical system will optimize the availability of quality-assured medicines and improve the efficiency and transparency of procurement of medicines.
