Medicine & Healthcare

Medicine and healthcare have become more and more sensitive during the last couple of years. Every government that has been in power as well as ordinary citizens realize and accept that the existing post-Soviet system in our country needs reforms. This feeling appears to be especially strong after visiting a state hospital.

Unfortunately, health issues are a very suitable tool for social manipulation globally. The most glaring example is the recent mass hysteria around swine flu. Drugstores made super profits last winter. Nevertheless, the media are full of predictions about new upcoming “plots of pharmacists”.

The Ukrainian Antimonopoly Committee recently announced its intention to legislatively prohibit advertising of drugs and biologically active additives. This is a brave and challenging incentive because pharmaceutical companies contain the lion’s share of advertising budgets for almost all media. We can see that business interests can go both hand in hand with and contrary to general healthcare interests. The deve-

lopment of effective regulation in this area is probably the key to ensuring the first scenario.

In this issue our aim is to give you a comprehensive overview of topical themes in this field.

Happy reading,
Olga Usenko