Briefly and in detail: license for retail, prescription dispensing, registration and online sale of veterinary drugs from 01.03.2026."
From March 1, 2026, updated rules for the circulation and sale of veterinary medicines (in everyday life - "veterinary drugs") come into effect in Ukraine. Below is a practical explanation specifically for veterinary pharmacies and retail outlets.
⚠️ The material is for informational purposes only and is not individual legal advice. For practical implementation, check the current by-laws and explanations of the competent authorities.
Briefly (checklist "what exactly is needed")
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License for retail sale of veterinary drugs — required.
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Purchase of veterinary drugs — only from suppliers with the appropriate license (wholesale).
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Prescription drugs — dispensed only by veterinary prescription.
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For prescription sales, the pharmacy must:
- keep a copy of the prescription,
- keep records specified by law,
- keep records for 5 years**,
- conduct audits at least once a year.
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Online sales are possible only for non-prescription drugs and only if special requirements are met (information on the website, availability in the list, etc.).
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Ukrainian information must be on the packaging/labeling and accompanying materials, and expired drugs are removed from circulation.
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Transitional rules: at the start, there are certain “postponements/features” (see below).
In detail on key points
1) Start date and what exactly is changing
- The updated rules come into effect from 01.03.2026.
- The previous law in the old version (historically “from 1992”) from the date of entry into force of the new one — is invalid.
2) Is a veterinary pharmacy license required?
Yes. Business activities in the wholesale and retail sale of veterinary medicinal products are subject to licensing.
What does this mean for a veterinary pharmacy:
- if you sell veterinary medicinal products to the end consumer — you need a retail sale license;
- suppliers should be checked: the purchase must be from a licensed wholesaler (or another operator who has the right to sell in accordance with the law).
💡 Important transitional rule: for 1 year from 01.03.2026 the availability of licenses (import/wholesale/retail) and compliance with license conditions is not subject to official control, including customs. This does not “cancel” licensing, but affects the practice of inspections in the first year.
3) Prescription dispensing: what will be “only by prescription”
Some drugs are dispensed by veterinary prescription. These (general categories) include, in particular:
- antimicrobial veterinary drugs;
- drugs for productive animals (for obtaining food products) — in certain cases;
- drugs that require precise preliminary diagnosis or may affect further diagnosis/therapy;
- drugs for euthanasia;
- immunobiological and other special groups (as listed in the law and the decision on state registration of a specific drug).
Veterinary prescription: form and rules
The rules for issuing veterinary prescriptions have been approved:
- the prescription can be paper and/or electronic;
- the prescription is issued after a clinical examination and/or sufficient diagnostic measures;
- prescriptions are issued by licensed veterinarians or doctors of a licensed veterinary institution;
- remote sale of prescription veterinary drugs is prohibited.
Pay special attention to the validity periods of prescriptions for some categories (for example, antimicrobials) - they may be shorter.
4) Records and documents in a veterinary pharmacy: what must be kept/stored
4.1. Mandatory records for prescription sales
A pharmacy (market operator) that carries out retail shall keep detailed records specifically regarding the sale of prescription veterinary drugs.
The records must include:
- date of sale;
- name, form, concentration;
- batch number;
- supplier/recipient data;
- full name and address of the prescribing veterinarian prescription, number of his license (or the license of the institution where he works) + copy of the prescription;
- registration number of the veterinary drug (for retail).
Also:
- at least once a year — audit “input/output/remains”;
- records and results of the audit are stored 5 years and provided upon request of the competent authority.
4.2. “Register of certificates/registration certificates”: how to do it correctly in practice
The law directly requires specific records for prescription sales (see above). At the same time, in the business processes of a veterinary pharmacy, to protect against risks and claims, it is logical to have a “folder/electronic archive of traceability”, for example:
- copy/extract of license (retail);
- verification of suppliers (wholesale) + preservation of procurement documents;
- documents by batches/series (invoices, series, expiration date, if possible — documents quality);
- checking the availability of the drug and its registration number according to official registers/labeling;
- SOP/instructions: acceptance, quarantine/defectiveness, recall, storage, operationwith counterfeit, etc.
If you want this block to correspond specifically to your trade format (1 pharmacy, network, online storefront, warehouse + pharmacy) - make an internal "minimum standard of documents" and fix it with an order for the enterprise.
5) Internet sales (distance trading)
The key rule in simple words:
- prescription drugs — cannot be sold online;
- over-the-counter — is possible, but only if:
- you have a retail license,
- the site contains information specified by law (contacts of the competent authority, links to the official website/list, etc.),
- you are included in the list of entities entitled to remote sales (formed by the competent authority).
6) Labeling, instructions in Ukrainian, expired drugs
For a retail outlet, this means:
- the product in circulation must have information in Ukrainian on the label;
- the drug must be accompanied by a package insert in Ukrainian;
- expired drugs in circulation are prohibited, “extension” of the expiration date is also prohibited.
7) Transitional provisions: what to pay attention to
1) “Old registrations”: for 5 years from 01.03.2026, circulation/import/production of drugs registered under the old rules is allowed, if there is a valid registration certificate as of 01.03.2026; use - until the end of the expiration date.
2) GMP/GDP (Good Manufacturing Practices): the terms of implementation of the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Marketing Practice will be established separately (and not the previously defined minimum terms).
3) 1-year feature of license control: during the year from 01.03.2026, the availability of licenses (import/wholesale/retail) and the fulfillment of license conditions are not subject to official control (including customs).
What veterinary pharmacies should do now (preparation plan)
- Check the work model: offline/online/delivery/network.
- Prepare to obtain a retail license (or update documents if there are other licenses).
- Set up the prescription dispensing process:
- receipt/verification of the prescription,
- archive of copies of prescriptions,
- journal/CRM-accounting of mandatory fields,
- storage rules for 5 years.
- Describe the minimum SOPs: acceptance, storage, write-off, recall, suspicion of counterfeiting.
- If online sales are planned: prepare the site for the requirements and check the inclusion in the list of remote sales entities.
The role of the professional community
The issue of implementing new rules is not only a “legal norm”, but also the daily practice of the veterinary business: prescription dispensing, accounting, working with suppliers, online storefront.
NGO “SVVS” — Public organization “Union of Veterinary Business Owners” systematically works to ensure that a comfortable professional and legal field for the activity of the veterinary business is formed in Ukraine.
More information about the activities and contacts of the NGO "SVVS": https://uacbbc.org
Sources (official)
- Law of Ukraine No. 1206-IX "On Veterinary Medicine" (text): https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1206-20/print
- Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy No. 752 dated 09/29/2022 "On Approval of the Form and Rules for Issuing Veterinary Prescriptions" (enters into force simultaneously with the Law): https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1452-22
