Social media is reporting shortages in pharmacies. The Ministry of Health responds that there is a temporary problem with thyroid medication

In September, after Russian attacks on Ukrainian warehouses, information about the reduction in drug stocks in pharmacies began to spread on social networks. It began on September 7, when in less than two hours, Telegram channels spread 27 posts with a quote from economist and financial analyst Oleksiy Kushch.

He said that it was necessary to stock up on drugs, because some of them had disappeared from sale and it was unknown when they would appear. In two hours, the posts collected 1.2 million views.

The narrative about the shortage continued to spread until the end of the month. On September 29, the Telegram channel “Cartel” wrote that some items that were supposed to be released under the “Affordable Medicines” program were disappearing from pharmacies.

In addition to the warehouses, in the last week of September, the occupiers attacked the Darnytsia pharmaceutical plant in Kyiv three times. It is one of the largest manufacturers of medicines in Ukraine.

Babel sent an official request to the Ministry of Health asking it to explain whether there is currently a shortage of vital and critically important drugs, what forecasts exist, and what measures are being taken to cover possible supply problems. Here is what the Ministry of Health responded:

• There is no systemic shortage of medicines in Ukraine, despite damage to the warehouse infrastructure due to Russian attacks. The market remains stable thanks to the diversification of supply channels, manufacturers and the efficiency of distributors.
• Local outages were observed in August-September 2026. The main reasons: destruction of warehouses, disruptions in import logistics, and a surge in hype demand.
• Distributors have already restructured logistics and routes to maintain uninterrupted supply to pharmacies and medical facilities.
• The government allowed the distribution of medicines: in August 2026, the requirements for storing medicines in warehouses were simplified so that companies do not concentrate large stocks in one place and attract additional space.
• Currently, pharmacies are experiencing temporary difficulties with drugs based on levothyroxine sodium (German "Eutirox" and "L-Thyroxin"). One of the factors reducing the level of residues is said to be the rush demand (when the patient buys 5-10 packages of the drug). These drugs will arrive in Ukraine this week after negotiations between the Ministry of Health and distributors on accelerating imports.
• There are enough other drugs based on levothyroxine sodium in pharmacies: the Ukrainian analogue "Sintorix" from "Farmak" (available under the "Affordable Medicines" program, the manufacturer also promises that production will be increased if necessary) and the German "Eferox".

The Ministry assures that it is constantly monitoring the situation with levothyroxine sodium-based medications. The Ministry of Health also constantly monitors the availability of medications in order to timely identify problem areas, regions, and necessary response measures.

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