Pharmacy license

Pharmacy license: conditions, documents and procedure for obtaining

Obtaining a license for retail trade in medicines (pharmacy license or drug trade license) is a mandatory stage of opening a pharmaceutical establishment in Ukraine. The license for retail trade in medicines was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (Resolution No. 929 of 11/30/2016) and guarantees the quality and safety of pharmaceutical services. Recently (Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 275 of 03/02/2026) the licensing conditions were updated taking into account modern requirements, in particular regarding the sale of non-prescription medicines at non-standard points (gas stations). Licensing of pharmacies is carried out by the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control (State Service): before opening a pharmacy, you must carefully comply with all licensing conditions and collect the necessary documents.

Basic requirements of the licensing conditions

First of all, the sale of medicines is allowed only through a legal entity or an individual entrepreneur that meets the requirements of the Licensing Conditions. The basic requirements for obtaining a pharmacy license include: a separate entrance to the premises, a vestibule, a pharmacy installation (refrigerators, display cases, ventilation), appropriate equipment and material and technical base, as well as the presence of qualified personnel – at least a pharmacist and a pharmacist with special education. In addition, a licensed pharmacy must have a minimum sales area of ​​​​at least 50 m² in the city (sales hall ≥18 m²) or 18 m² in the village (sales hall ≥6 m²).

The basic requirements of the licensing conditions can be summarized as follows:

• a separate entrance to the sales premises with anti-vandal protection;
• the presence of a pharmacy installation (refrigerator, ventilation system, pharmacy cabinets, etc.);
• sufficient retail space (at least 50 m² in cities, 18 m² in villages);
• modern equipment and pharmacy furniture;
  a staff of qualified employees (a pharmacist and a pharmacist with appropriate diplomas);
• lack of control by non-residents (aggressor countries) over the licensee’s activities.

Each of these requirements is mandatory. Violation of at least one condition may lead to a refusal to issue a license or its cancellation. Therefore, before submitting documents, it is important to make sure that the premises and personnel fully comply with the license conditions.

Required documents

The package of documents for obtaining a pharmacy license consists of several mandatory items. The following are attached to the license application:

• information on the availability of the material and technical base and the staff of the pharmacy (form according to Appendix No. 5 to the Licensing Conditions), confirming the equipment and qualifications of employees;
• a copy of the applicant’s passport (for individual entrepreneurs – with a mark from the regulatory authority in case of refusal of the TIN);
• information on the absence of control by residents of aggressive states (in accordance with the laws “On Defense of Ukraine” and “On Protection of Economic Competition”);
• two copies of the description of the submitted documents (form – Appendix No. 8 to the Licensing Conditions).

These documents should be prepared in advance and submitted together with the application to the regional licensing authority (territorial department of the State Medical Service) at the place of registration of the applicant. All copies of documents must be certified in accordance with the established procedure. Read more about the list of required documents in this article.

Before submitting an application, it is advisable to seek advice from a pharmacy licensing specialist to avoid possible errors in filling out the form and completing the package of documents. Incorrect or incomplete documents are one of the most common reasons for refusal to issue a license.

The procedure for obtaining a license – step by step

To successfully obtain a pharmacy license, you should sequentially perform the following steps:

1. Collect the necessary documents and fill out an application. Prepare an application in the established form (Appendix No. 1 to the Licensing Conditions) and information about the material and technical base and personnel (Appendix No. 5). In the application, indicate all details, contacts and type of activity.
2. Issue technical passports and certificates. Make sure that the pharmacy premises are equipped in accordance with the requirements: there is the necessary equipment (refrigerator, pharmacy cabinet, air conditioning and ventilation system, clean vestibule) and all state enterprises (sanitary and epidemiological service, fire and technical control) have been passed.
3. Pay the state fee (state duty). The license is issued for payment of a fee in the amount of one subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons (as of 2026, this is about 3,000 UAH). The amount of the state duty may change, so the current amount should be checked on the Treasury website or through the Central Administrative Center.
4. Submit documents to the State Medical Service. The application with all supporting documents can be submitted in person, through a legal representative, or sent by registered mail. Electronic submission is also available through “Diya” or another applicant’s account.
5. Go through the check and wait for the decision. After accepting the application, the territorial licensing authority checks the documents for compliance with the requirements. If necessary, an inspection of the pharmacy is carried out “on site”. The established term for considering the application is up to 10 working days from the date of receipt of the full package of documents. Based on the results of the review, a decision is issued to grant a license or a written refusal with justification of the reasons.

Each of these steps must be performed carefully: omission of documents or incorrect registration can delay the process or lead to refusal.

Cost and terms of obtaining

A pharmacy license does not have a limited validity period – it is issued indefinitely (until changes in current legislation). However, to obtain it, you must take into account the term of consideration of the application and the cost of services. As noted, the state duty is 1 subsistence minimum (approximately 3,000 UAH).

The term for issuing a license is usually 10 working days from the date of receipt of a full package of documents. In case of delay, you can file a complaint with the Expert and Appellate Council on Licensing or challenge the inaction in court.

In general, the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine demonstrates high competition. According to Proxima Research, as of 2024, the number of pharmacies has decreased by almost 20% compared to the pre-war level (from over 19,000 to ≈15,000 establishments). The largest number of pharmacies is concentrated in Kyiv region (≈1839), Dnipro (≈825), Lviv (≈731), Kharkiv (≈618) and Odessa (≈404). At the same time, the leading chains (“Podorozhnyk”, “9-1-1”, ANTs, “Bazhaemo zdrowia”) control about 60% of the market (a third of all pharmacies), opening the majority of new establishments (96% of 977 opened in 2024).

Given such trends, before opening a new pharmacy, its profitability should be assessed in advance. Some try to simplify the process by looking for options to “buy a ready-made company with a pharmacy license”. However, lawyers warn: such operations are associated with risks (for example, involving “nominal” directors) and can lead to the cancellation of the license or fines. It is more economically profitable to immediately create a new company and legally obtain a license through the State Medical Service, using the advice of specialists.

Poshuk.info Help

On the Poshuk.info portal, you can get professional support for licensing a pharmacy. The site presents a catalog of leading law firms and bar associations specializing in business licensing in Ukraine. The client can create a request for consultation, which will automatically be received by all verified lawyers in the pharmacy license category. This means that it is not necessary to search and contact each company separately. By submitting one request to Poshuk.info, you receive several consultation offers with different conditions at once. This approach saves time and allows you to compare the terms of service, choosing the most favorable for your business.

In this way, the Poshuk.info portal helps entrepreneurs quickly navigate the market of legal services for licensing pharmacies. Users receive transparent information about the cost and terms of turnkey registration, as well as recommendations from professionals for successfully completing the licensing procedure.

We remind you: a pharmacy license is a key document for the legal operation of a pharmaceutical chain. Proper execution of all documents and compliance with license conditions guarantees that your pharmacy will operate according to the rules and benefit the population.