Procurement of vital medicines. In just under four years, UNDP Ukraine managed to save more than UAH 1.7 billion (US$ 66 million) in state budget funds, and thus enable the provision of additional medicines and medical products to cover the needs of patients. The high requirements and standards that UNDP establishes for its tenders means that the medicines procured are of exceptional quality and effectiveness, as unscrupulous producers cannot participate in the process.

Support and involvement of patients’ organizations. The community of patients is one of the driving forces behind the project, and simultaneously a beneficiary of changes in the health care system. The voice of patients should be heard in Ukraine: this is why since 2017 UNDP has provided mini-grants to patients’ organizations to allow them to monitor the availability, monitoring and use of medicines procured. This means that patients can now directly participate in monitoring the procurement process and thus improve it. In 2016, UNDP, along with the patients’ community, developed the “E-Liky” system, which enables patients to check the availability of medicines in 23 oblasts of Ukraine. UNDP has been working with patients’ community and civil society help build a system of ‘checks and balances’ that will ensure public control over the agency’s future activities.

Strengthening the national health procurement system. Since UNDP’s ultimate goal is to enable the Government to procure medicines and medical supplies itself within the health care system, one of the Project’s priorities is to create a central procurement agency and establish a modern health supply system. 

It is also expected that UNDP in Ukraine, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, will develop a digital stock management system for medicines and medical products. This system will help improve the national procurement process and allow the process to be forecast and planned at the national and local levels.

Sharing experience and best practices. Ukraine’s successful experience of procuring medicines through international organizations has been emulated by other states in the region -- mainly countries that already have centralized medicines procurement systems. In 2017 and 2018, contracts were signed with UNDP for the procurement of medicines by Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Increasing the share of suppliers. Transparency was one of the main challenges in the healthcare system, given that by 2015 about 95 percent of tender winners were distributors, leading to monopolization of the relevant processes. Today, 80 percent of medicines and medical products are procured directly through manufacturers.