More than 32 thousand Ukrainians received medicines for mental disorders this year

This is a program that allows patients to receive life-saving medicines free of charge or with a small co-payment. The list of medicines available under the program includes a wide range of medicines for mental and behavioral disorders and epilepsy.

In particular, such medicines are necessary for patients with:

- schizophrenia, schizotypal states and delusional disorders;

- mood disorders (affective disorders);

- neurotic conditions associated with stress and somatoform disorders.

"Ukrainians with epilepsy, mental and behavioral disorders can receive medicines under the Affordable Medicines program free of charge or with a partial co-payment. Currently, the reimbursement program includes 65 brand names of such drugs. Of these, 23 are free of charge, and the rest are with a partial co-payment. All you need to do is get an electronic prescription from your doctor and submit it to a pharmacy that has a contract with the NHSU. Medicines are selected not by trade name, but by the active ingredient," says Natalia HUSAK, Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine.

In order to receive medicines for mental, behavioral and epilepsy disorders under the Affordable Medicines program, a patient needs to:

1. See a psychiatrist who will draw up a treatment plan and write a prescription for medicines under the Affordable Medicines program. In case of epilepsy, you need to visit a neurologist or a psychiatrist. The doctor will write an electronic prescription. If a medical facility is located in a combat zone or in the temporarily occupied territory, a paper prescription may also be issued. For subsequent prescriptions, you can go to a family doctor, therapist or pediatrician. The doctor will be able to write a prescription based on a treatment plan previously drawn up by a specialist.
2. The prescription should be filled at a pharmacy that has a contract with the NHSU. You can find this out by the sticker "Here is "Affordable Medicines" on the pharmacy's facade or by asking an employee.
3. After presenting the prescription, the pharmacist offers medicines that contain the required active ingredient and informs you which of the drugs is free of charge and which requires a co-payment

Important! A prescription is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.

The list of medicines that patients can receive under the Affordable Medicines program includes medicines with the following active ingredients:

1. Phenobarbital
2. Levetiracetam (Levetiracetam)
3. Chlorpromazine (Сhlorpromazine)
4. Olanzapine (Olanzapine)
5. Quetiapine (Quetiapine)
6. Aripiprazole (Aripiprazole)
7. Diazepam (Diazepam)
8. Paroxetine (Paroxetine)
9. Sertraline (Sertraline)
10. Escitalopram (Escitalopram)

You can find the nearest pharmacy with a contract with the NHSU

- via the dashboard on the NHSU website: https://edata.e-health.gov.ua/e-data/dashboard/pharmacy-map. In the menu on the left, select your locality and the direction of the reimbursement program.

- by calling the NHSU contact center at 16-77.