Russian government clears pharmacies in rural post offices

Russia's government has allowed the sale of medicines in rural post offices located in villages that have no pharmacy or medical facility. The Health Ministry's press service announced the signed resolution as part of measures to improve access to medicines, though the ministry did not say when the first sales would begin or how many offices would take part.

Which drugs made the list?

The approved list includes more than 100 over-the-counter medicines in demand for outpatient treatment. According to the ministry, none of them require special storage conditions, which is why officials consider post-office sales safe for product quality. What the announcement does not specify is how the list will be updated, who will supply the drugs, or at what prices they will be sold.

Only post-office staff who complete additional training in the rules of accepting, storing and dispensing medicines may sell them. Staff will be forbidden to advise customers on how to use the drugs — a limit that distinguishes a postal counter from a pharmacy and puts the choice of remedy entirely on the buyer.

Where will mobile pharmacies operate?

The government also approved the first regions for an experiment with mobile pharmacy units: Nizhny Novgorod and Kursk regions. Mobile pharmacies will serve residents of small and remote villages that lack stationary pharmacies.

The experiment runs until 1 September 2029, giving the pilot nearly five years. Other regions may join later, but only after their regional leaders apply to the Health Ministry — a bureaucratic step that leaves the pace of expansion outside the ministry's direct control.

What is off limits in mobile units?

Mobile pharmacies face their own restrictions. The resolution bans the sale of:

• drugs containing narcotic, psychotropic and potent substances;
• medicines with an alcohol content above 25%;
• products requiring special storage conditions.

The combined picture is a two-track approach: a narrow OTC assortment through trained postal staff and a fuller pharmacy offer on wheels, both aimed at the same gap — villages where the nearest counter with medicine may otherwise be hours away.

What remains unsaid?

The ministry's announcement names no budget figures, no target number of villages, and no metrics by which the experiment will be judged successful. It also does not address commercial terms for Russian Post, the likely operator, such as margins or reimbursement for the required staff training. Until those details appear, the practical reach of the reform — how many of Russia's pharmacy-free villages actually get a counter — stays an open question.