A pioneering e-prescription was issued in Vinnytsia, allowing three patients to obtain tailored cannabidiol medicines today. Officials call it a crucial test of regulated access.
As reported by the online media Ukrinform Ukrinform.
In Vinnytsia on June 11, 2026, for the first time in Ukraine, patients were officially issued and fulfilled a prescription for medical cannabis; it was purchased by a patient with multiple sclerosis and two veterans.
According to medical professionals and the hospital administration, the prescription took place at the Vinnytsia Regional Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital named after Academician O. I. Yushchenko and marked a significant step in introducing cannabidiol as a therapeutic agent.
Meds made from medical cannabis were prescribed by neurologists of the Vinnytsia Regional Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital named after Academician O. I. Yushchenko. The first official prescription was issued under the supervision of the facility’s leadership and specialists.
Today, for the first time, our neurologists are issuing an electronic prescription for medical cannabidiol. This drug today is evidence-based; it is included in international protocols and also in Ukrainian treatment protocols. This drug has long been prescribed by doctors in other countries. Also, medical cannabis is safe because it does not cause euphoria, intoxication, or dependence. It is available today; it has already been legalized, and it is in pharmacies in Ukraine, including in the pharmacies of our Vinnytsia
– Sofia Kucheruk
The director of the municipal non-profit enterprise noted that cannabidiol is prescribed for pain relief due to its powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects; it reduces chronic and muscular pain. The drug is also used to reduce stress and anxiety, since it relaxes the body and improves mood. Additionally, it can be used in complex cases of epilepsy, including in children.
Among those whom the neurologists prescribed the first prescriptions for medicines based on medical cannabis were multiple sclerosis patient Lyudmyla Monastyrska and veteran Yaroslav Yurchuk.
I am 35 years old and I have had multiple sclerosis for about 15 years. I have been waiting for the medical cannabis law to come into force because this is a very timely topic for patients like me, and not only for them. Also for patients who lost their limbs in connection with the full-scale invasion.
– Lyudmyla Monastyrska
I went to the doctor because I have phantom pains. She examined me and concluded that I indeed need a cannabis-based medication. As you can see, today I was prescribed a prescription, and I hope to buy the medicine at the pharmacy the same day. I was prescribed the drug for the first time, for ten days. Then there will be another consultation and adjustments to the treatment.
– Yaroslav Yurchuk
For two years we have been trying for the patient, the first today, to receive medicines based on medical cannabis.
– Hennadiy Shabas
The head of the public organization “Ukrainian Association of Medical Cannabis” explained that after the adoption of the medical cannabis law, they had to wait two years before the mechanism would operate in the country. He stressed that regulation of the industry is a lengthy process: there is a substantial control system from law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Health, and the State Service of Medicines, which creates significant obstacles to the development of the market for cannabidiol-based medicines.
According to Shabas, in Vinnytsia such medicines are being issued for the first time with an electronic prescription and a paper analogue, and the compounding process is extemporaneous: medicines are prepared individually for the patient as needed. This can take from 15 minutes to the next day.
The cost of the initial ten-day course is about 1,000 UAH, depending on the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
As noted in the legislative framework, in February 2024 the President signed Law No. 3528-IX “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding State Regulation of the Circulation of Cannabis Plants for Use in Educational, Scientific, and Medical Purposes.” The law took effect on February 16, 2024 and came into force six months later.
According to the Ministry of Health, such medicinal products are needed by millions of Ukrainians with cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and other serious conditions. Recreational use remains strictly prohibited and is treated as a crime.
The first implementation of a system of prescriptions based on medical cannabis in Vinnytsia demonstrates progress in patients’ access to necessary treatment and highlights the importance of support from the medical community in the further integration of regulated medications into treatment protocols.
Going forward, such a prescription regime could broaden access to regulated medicines for patients with various serious conditions and stimulate the development of the healthcare system in Ukraine.
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