On the 6th of August 2015. in Cherkassy held a roundtable with civil society and local authorities, organized by the NGO “Gay-alliance”, Cherkasy Regional Council communities and partnering organizations “From heart to heart”.
The purpose of the roundtable was to discuss the implementation of prescription drugs form of OST in Cherkasy region.
The event was attended by 17 participants: head doctors of specialized medical institutions, Deputy Director of Health Cherkasy Regional State Administration, representatives of law enforcement agencies (OBNON) and Procuracy; activists of vulnerable communities IDU / OST and sex workers – representatives of Cherkassy RCC, heads and employees of NGOs, representatives of pharmaceutical institutions of the region. To participate in the round table was also is involved an expert of ICF “International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine” Anton Basenko and the Regional Project Coordinator of USAID RESPOND Alla Kalinina.
“More than two years of non-governmental organizations are trying conduct negotiations with people who make decisions, namely the Deputy Director of Public Health of Cherkasy RSA Naydan and the chief doctor of Narcological Dispensary Borozenets, for improving the mode of operation of SMT point at Narcological Dispensary and transfer some patients at mechanism obtaining treatment with prescription replacement therapy” – says the regional coordinator of NGO “Gay-alliance” Natalia Nesvat. “The purpose of these meetings and advocacy activities are approximation of prevention services to the affected patient groups IDU/OST change their behavior to more safe and formation of their responsibility for their actions” – says Natalia.
“Today in Ukraine there are 16 areas where implemented and working mechanism for issuing substitution maintenance therapy drugs by prescription form” – said the expert of the ICF “International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine” Anton Basenko. “At the legislative level there are no barriers in order to implement the mechanism issuance of prescription drugs substitution therapy in Cherkasy region. This is primarily expanding access to OST patients to obtain drugs and improve their quality of life. Also, reduce the amount of work doctors, easier the procedure for obtaining drugs will enable to patients receive higher quality services and most importantly a way of working, will help community members reintegrate into society – to find a job, go on holiday with the family, do not spend their free time at the point of OST issuance and use it more useful”- says Anton.
The results of the meeting:
Participants of the roundtable decided to organize and to hold a meeting this month in the heads of all structural units that make decisions, to the possibility development and implementing a mechanism for issuance OST drugs on prescription, and to take the the following measures:
– To explore the legal framework and to determine where there may be a conflict of interest and which Regulatory Documents contradict each other. Adapt them under all competent structures;
– To analyze the economic and health benefits from prescription forms of OST issuance;
– Discuss the mechanism of spread and improving of existing approaches purpose OST;
– To work out a mechanism overcoming existing stereotypes towards IDUs among police officers, doctors and other people who make decisions;
– Develop a method of controlling storage of OST prescription drugs;
– To start approbation of approach to issuance prescription drugs of OST reading the instructions of other regions. Then you need to initiate the drafting of regulatory documents with further adaptation in Cherkasy region.
For reference:
Work on capacity building and capability of vulnerable communities implemented by NGO “Gay-alliance” in the direction “Social mobilization, strengthening of ties, cooperation and coordination” among vulnerable groups IDU/OST, sex workers, MSM, former prisoners in 5 regions of Ukraine (Lviv, Vinnytsa, Cherkasy, Kirovograd, Sumy), with the financial support of ACO “All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH” and ICF “International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine”.
