OBJECTIVES: The global economic recession is leading to reducing health costs (including pharmaceutical expenditures) and implementation of reimbursement in CEE countries. Ukraine and Poland were selected for comparison due to the number of population and geographical proximity. The aim was to analyze and compare the key trends of pharmaceutical markets and reimbursement in Ukraine and Poland.

METHODS: Statistical data, official reports, literature search was supplemented with relevant in-country additional publications that were not found through on-line search.

RESULTS: In Ukraine the total pharmaceutical sales made up 2.34% of GDP in 2017. Total expenditures on medicines (private and public) were USD 2.6 bn in 2017 (+15.2% in local currency UAH and +12.4% in USD). In Poland the total pharmaceutical sales were lower 2.26% of GDP in 2017. Comparing markets of neighboring countries the total volume of drug sales was USD 11.7 bn in 2017, volume of reimbursement was USD 2.4 bn (20%) in Poland. In Ukraine expenditures on medicines were lower in 4,5 times and volume of reimbursement program “Affordable medicines” comprised 1% of total drug expenditures. Meanwhile in Poland pharmaceutical sales of health expenditure were on 12.6% lower than in Ukraine and amounted 34.4% in 2017. The total expenditures on medicines in Ukraine increased by 15.2% in local currency UAH and 12.4% in USD comparing with Poland – only by 4%. This is substantiated by the perspectives of payer, seeing in Poland expenditures only on reimbursement made up the value of almost all pharmaceutical expenditures in Ukraine.

CONCLUSIONS: The analysis showed a steady growth the volumes of pharmaceutical markets in Ukraine and Poland. There is perspective of reimbursement of new medicines. In Ukraine is needed the expansion of reimbursement list to improve the availability of medicines.