EU-Standard Pharmaceutical Regulator

challenge

A strong market with complex rules

Ukraine’s pharmaceutical sector is one of the strongest in Eastern Europe. 128 Ukrainian companies manufacture medicines and export them to over 70 countries worldwide.

The market has demonstrated resilience even amid war and has the potential for deeper integration into the EU system. At the same time, the sector’s development requires further refinement of the regulatory model.

“The main problem with the current system of medicine regulation in Ukraine is its fragmentation. Key functions are spread across several institutions, which complicates processes, creates duplication of functions, and blurs accountability for decisions,” notes Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Maryna Slobodnichenko.

In response to these challenges, Ukraine is implementing a comprehensive European integration reform – the creation of a single state regulatory body for the pharmaceutical sector. The Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency is due to become operational on 1 January 2027. Its establishment involves consolidating key functions within a single institution in accordance with EU standards.

This aligns with both national interests and the EU’s strategic priorities. EU countries are strengthening their policies on the supply of critical medicines, some of which are produced by Ukrainian companies. This will help the EU enhance its own pharmaceutical security and diversify its supply chains.

At the same time, the reform itself in Ukraine remained difficult to explain. It was not just about institutional changes, but about transforming the entire system. That is why a comprehensive communication approach was needed to ensure trust and support from businesses, citizens, and international partners.

solution

Communication campaign to support the reform

As part of the SafeMed project, the Internews Ukraine team, in coordination with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, developed and implemented a comprehensive communication campaign that became part of the reform’s implementation. Its objective was to foster a comprehensive understanding of the changes and build trust in the new regulatory model even before the institution was launched.

We began with a strategy — identifying key audiences, their expectations, and the risks associated with their perceptions of the reform. On this basis, we prepared a strategic document with a clear rationale for the changes, key messages, and a campaign implementation plan. It became a practical tool for the Ministry of Health of Ukraine team and the future institution.

The next step was to develop the branding for the new body — the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency. We analysed approaches to positioning regulators in over 30 countries and proposed naming options and 50+ visual identity concepts.

We developed a content system that explains the reform through various formats: analytical materials, expert columns, FAQs for businesses and the public, infographics, videos, and social media posts.

Working with the media became a separate area of focus. Together with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, we prepared and pitched materials to leading national and specialized media outlets: European Pravda, Economic Pravda, Liga.net, Interfax Ukraine, Ukrinform, RBK Ukraine, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, The Pharma Media, Apteka.ua, Rubryka, and UkraineWorld.

International communication was also a key component. We prepared English-language materials, presentations, and videos to present the reform at international events. We provided communication support for one such event — a meeting of heads of medicines agencies from EU countries in Warsaw (May 2025).

Furthermore, we also helped organise an interview with Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Health for European Integration for the specialist Polish media outlet Polityka Zdrowotna.

To provide a single point of access to information, we created the reform’s digital platform, uma.gov.ua. The bilingual website explains the key aspects of the changes and answers questions from businesses, consumers, international partners, and industry professionals.

A separate focus was on providing communications support for the launch of the EU Twinning project, which facilitates the transfer of expertise and the implementation of best practices in establishing the new regulator.

As a result, the communication was structured as a system—from strategy to specific outputs — that fostered a comprehensive understanding of the reform.

result

The reform became visible and gained support

The communication campaign transformed the reform from a narrow professional topic into a comprehensible public debate. Changes in the pharmaceutical sector began to be systematically discussed in the Ukrainian media landscape. A topic that had previously remained within expert circles became more accessible to business, the public, and international partners.

Key campaign results:

• 20+ publications in national and international media;
• 50+ communication products (videos, texts, infographics, FAQs);
• over 10,000 people learned about the reform through the media.

Interactive formats, such as an online quiz, helped draw the attention of a wide audience to important changes that will significantly strengthen the reputation of Ukrainian medicines and medical devices on the international market.

The reform has received support from European partners and has become part of a broader process of Ukraine’s integration into the EU pharmaceutical system. The establishment of the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency will help to:

• boost confidence in Ukrainian medicines;
• simplify manufacturers’ entry into international markets;
• strengthen Ukraine’s position within the European pharmaceutical system.

Effective communication is a key part of the reform, making the changes understandable and achievable.