Russian Internet users are actively discussing that allegedly, due to changes in the laws from September 1 in pharmacies in the Russian Federation, absolutely all drugs can only be bought by a doctor's prescription. We decided to check what is actually said in the new rules.

The fact that from September 1 it will be possible to buy medicines only according to a doctor’s prescription, the media write, for example, “Moscow Komsomolets"(" From September 1, in pharmacies, medicines will be sold strictly according to prescriptions: everything will be tightened "),"New news"(" Do not buy without a prescription: from September 1, pharmacies will begin to release medicines in a new way ") and URA.RU ("In Tyumen, they will ban the sale of drugs without a prescription"). Regional publics report excitement in pharmacies: for example, Telegram channel "News Bryansk" tellsthat "among the population, a panic already began to appear, someone even rushed to buy drugs, forgetting about the existing expiration dates." In a similar way, judging by the local channels, people behave on Kamchatka and in Krasnodar region. "Moscow FM" quotes The words of an unnamed pharmacist from the capital's pharmacy: “There will be not just scandals, there will be something. All of us have already passed this and Covid, but here everything will be tightened. Even the program will not allow this check to break through. Those who have already been aware have already bought back the drugs ahead of 10,000 - 20,000 rubles. ” Internet users also panic: “Even [if] the tooth falls ill or grabs the stomach, radiculite, we somehow immediately into the pharmacy, and now we must get to the reception, and you know that in our clinics, there is no record, without recording the queue or not to get at all, paperwork and so with doctors, but now this, but you yourself understand what it threatens for us.”

Starting September 1, 2023, in Russia, changes in the rules for the sale of drugs under the prescription provided for Resolution Government of the Russian Federation No. 468 of March 24, 2023. This decision makes amendments to another Cabinet of Ministers entitled “On approval of the Regulation on the monitoring system for the movement of drugs for medical use” (2018). However, contrary to the fears of Internet users, regulation (as before) will only be subject to prescription drugs, and not all, as they wrote in some media, social networks and mailings in messengers.

Moreover, from the entire volume of prescription drugs changes Touch Only three groups drugs:

subject to subject-whether to account (PKU). Full list of such drugs Fixed By order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation - for example, there are Codeine, Cocaine, Morphine, Ketamin, Oxycodon, Ephedrine, etc.;
drugs released by the remote method according to recipes;
Drugs whose full or partial cost is compensated by the state.

When dispensing drugs from these categories pharmacy will It is obliged to provide the recipe details to the monitoring system (number, series and date of issue).

However, even before the introduction of new rules, pharmacies collected such information about the recipe and handed over reporting on them. Roszdravnadzor explains: “Contrary to what they write in the media and social networks, changes in the rules for the removal of prescription drugs from circulation when selling them in pharmacies will not affect their accessibility for patients. At the same time, no "new" or "special" forms of recipes are needed for this. " The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation He emphasizesthat the changes are technical in nature and mainly affect the work of pharmacies, and not the availability of drugs for citizens. How Explains The agency, changes are primarily necessary to reduce the risk of abuse when selling potent drugs. Therapist and a popularizer of evidence-based medicine Alexei Vodovozov so Comments Changes: “The drugs that are subject to PKU are all completely recipe, and“ heavy ”, and clearly not patients, access to them as possible only as a doctor’s prescription, will remain. And that's right. "

In addition, the most popular drugs are basically not related to prescription. List of best -selling drugs in 2022 Heads Nurofen - non -steroid anti -inflammatory preparation with an analgesic and antipyretic effect. “Nurofen” is a commercial name, the main active substance in it is Ibuprofen, which does not apply to the prescription and will be sold after September 1 as before. In second place in sales leaders - a spray from the nasal nasal and Snup with the active substance xylometazoline, which also Not applied To the group of prescription drugs. In third place in popularity - Arbidol (Umifenovir), antiviral drug with unproven efficiency, which also Available over the counter. Most of the usual medicines for removing pain, reducing temperature or relieve symptoms for colds do not belong to the category of prescription in principle, and new rules will not affect them.

Thus, the rules for the release of prescription drugs will really change, however, this will affect only certain groups of drugs-subject to subject-whether it is relevant remotely, as well as drugs whose cost fully or partially compensates for the state. Those drugs that are now sold without a prescription can be freely bought after September 1. Despite panic mailings and alarming posts on social networks, there is no reason to run to pharmacies and purchase all kinds of drugs for months.

Image on the cover: Flickr-Photobank Moscow-Live