The analysis of state programs in providing the availability of medical and pharmaceutical care to the population during the years of independence of Ukraine

Abstract

Dissatisfaction of the population with the low availability of medical and pharmaceutical care, as well as significant expenses from the pockets of citizens for medical services and medicines in the absence of the state compulsory medical insurance, indicate the need for transformation of the healthcare system (HS) in Ukraine. The concept of availability implies not only a physical opportunity to receive a service, but also a financial guarantee that the service will be paid for by the state. A clear list and volume of medical services, as well as drugs paid for at the expense of the state budget are the guaranteed assistance to the patient, which he receives free of charge. In this regard, the urgent task of the competent authorities is to improve the methodological approaches to the formation of government programs and packages of medical services depending on the incidence rates, the needs of the population and the financial capabilities of the state; they require the analysis of the results of the implementation of these programs and substantiation of the necessary changes.
 Aim. To analyze changes in methodological approaches regarding the formation of state programs related to medical and pharmaceutical care for the population and determine the main tasks for the availability of medical services and medicines.
 Materials and methods. In the course of the study the regulatory legal acts and statistical data of the state budget for the period of independence of Ukraine, information from official sites, as well as methods of system analysis, such as systematization, generalization, statistical and analytical ones, were used.
 Results. Based on the results of processing legislative documents in the form of regulatory legal acts and state budgets of Ukraine the main methodological changes having the impact on the availability of medical services and medicines for the population in the healthcare system (HS) were determined. The analysis and systematization of the data made it possible to form the main factors for improving the availability of medical services and medicines for the population and the efficiency of medical and pharmaceutical care. Further expansion of the “Affordable Medicines” program, monitoring of the current program of medical guarantees will allow assessing changes in health protection and identifying key tasks for the future.
 Conclusions. The study conducted has made it possible to determine methodological changes in the availability of medical services and medicines for the population in state programs for the period of independence of Ukraine, as well as to form directions for further research using methods of assessing medical technologies.