This and other proposals are included in the Bill on amendments to the Law, 'On Medicines' (appertaining to prevention of abuse in the distribution of medicines), introduced into The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by The People's Deputy, H. Moskal.
The Bill (Reg. No.1438) proposes to improve State regulation of the distribution of Medicines, take steps to prevent their illegal trafficking, and enhance control over business entities operating in this area, to avoid the placement of low-quality or counterfeited medicines onto the pharmaceutical market.
The Bill suggests that State control measures are defined so as to control the distribution of medicines within Ukraine, and that the requirements for business entities operating in this field are established, in order to eliminate the causes and conditions leading to offences in the area of distribution of medicines.
According to the Bill, ‘Police are entitled to conduct examinations of business entities dealing with the distribution of drugs, psychotropic agents, precursors and medicines, provided that they submit an Examination Order, issued using a procedure laid down by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The grounds for examination by the Police are as follows:
In the line of duty of the Police in taking steps to prevent, uncover and stop offences and unearth the individuals who commit them;
Availability of materials with data on the signs of offence at the disposal of Police divisions;
Unscheduled operations to check the information on violation of License terms by business entities, and carrying out instructions as to their elimination´.
The Bill Sponsor feels that 'the absence in Ukraine of a clear-cut legislative framework for the control of medicines coming onto the pharmaceutical market, and the operation of business entities dealing with them, leads to multiple violations in the distribution of medicines'. ‘This primarily applies to high strength and toxic medicines, whose abuse has now become widespread´.
He also considers that ‘the diversion of medicines containing controlled substances, and primarily toxic and high strength ones such as Tramadol, from their wholesale distribution centres, has become an integral part of the drug business´.