Three-quarters of pharmaceutical companies in the health care committee of the European Business Association reported shortages of imported medicines in retail, which, according to the association’s experts, indicates a systemic problem of drug shortages.
“Seventy-six percent of surveyed companies that are part of the EBA health care committee reported shortages of imported medicines in retail. These data show that this is no longer about isolated operational disruptions, but a systemic problem of drug shortages,” the European Business Association said, commenting on the results of a survey conducted among 17 pharmaceutical companies — members of the committee — in February 2026.
According to market participants, the stability of medicine supplies is affected by wartime risks, regulatory barriers and procedural unpredictability, which together create additional pressure on supply chains and affect the availability of certain drugs.
According to companies’ estimates, cases of shortages or risks of supply disruptions affect a wide range of medicines, including cardiovascular, ophthalmological, neurological and oncological drugs, as well as biological therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases.
“In a number of cases, this already concerns a real risk of certain therapies dropping out or the absence of therapeutic alternatives for patients,” the association said.
Among the main causes of shortages, the study identified two key factors: lengthy and unpredictable procedures for obtaining confirmation in Ukraine of GMP certificate compliance, and the loss of inventories due to missile strikes on warehouse infrastructure. Each of these factors was cited by 69% of respondents.
In addition, 56% of companies pointed to systemic issues with the application of the national price catalog, which complicates planning and the import of medicines.
“According to respondents, applications to include medicines in the catalog or to change prices may be processed for two months or longer, without explanation and without a clear understanding of their status,” the association said.
Among other challenges, market participants cited low inventory levels among distributors (25%), which may also be the result of stock losses due to strikes; production or supply restrictions by manufacturers (19%); customs delays (13%); and other factors (13%).
“Companies are already taking practical steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines. These include alternative warehousing solutions, ordering additional production batches from parent companies, redistributing products between countries, building additional inventories and adjusting production plans,” the association said.
In addition, some companies are preparing business continuity plans in case warehouse infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. The business community has also initiated changes to licensing conditions that would allow the use of additional or alternative storage facilities during martial law.
The association also stressed that companies are engaged in systematic dialogue with government authorities to remove regulatory barriers affecting the stability of medicine supplies.
According to some companies’ forecasts, the situation could stabilize as early as April 2026. At the same time, other market participants believe that without the cancellation or significant simplification of procedures for re-confirming GMP compliance, full stabilization is unlikely before 2027.
“In the short term — from several weeks to three to five months — partial restoration of supplies is possible if it is possible to promptly replenish stocks lost due to attacks and speed up document review by the regulator. At the same time, long-term market stabilization is linked to systemic changes in regulatory policy, primarily reform of GMP confirmation procedures, stable administration of the national price catalog and overall predictability of the regulatory environment,” the association said.
In addition, the business community outlined a number of practical solutions that could significantly improve the situation, including introducing a mechanism for recognizing GMP certificates issued by countries with stringent regulatory authorities (SRA) based on certificate numbers in international databases or certified copies of documents, which would reduce processing times and improve supply predictability.
The association also recalled that at the beginning of the full-scale war, a temporary simplification was already in place, allowing the import of medicines from SRA countries without mandatory confirmation of GMP certificate compliance in Ukraine.
As reported, sales of over-the-counter medicines at gas stations began in Ukraine in March.