The Ministry of Health of Ukraine is strengthening the requirements for medical institutions that conduct psychiatric examinations. These measures are aimed at preventing misuse and forgery of medical certificates. As reported at the Ministry of Health, the new rules are approved by Order No. 1759, which will enter into force on January 1, 2025.
According to the new rules, only medical institutions that meet the following criteria will be able to conduct psychiatric examinations:
- have a license for medical practice in the specialty “Psychiatry”;
- concluded an agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSHU) for groups of services related to psychiatric care;
- registered in the Electronic Health Care System (ECHS).
Inspections are also allowed to be carried out in state institutions, such as the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, which meet the specified requirements and use ESOZ.
The examination will be conducted only by psychiatrists who: are employed in the relevant institution; registered in ESOZ; have undergone thematic training in accordance with current legislation.
Information about training should be publicly available: it should be posted on the institution’s official website or in a publicly accessible place.
The Ministry of Health is also introducing strengthened standards for conducting psychiatric examinations, including procedures for establishing identity, entering data into the EHS, collecting materials for analysis and using qualified electronic signatures.
Starting from the new year, all types of psychiatric examinations — preliminary, periodic and emergency, including tests for the use of psychoactive substances, will be able to be carried out exclusively by institutions that meet the new requirements. The Ministry of Health expects that such changes will help ensure transparency, increase trust in the process of medical examinations and minimize the risks of forgery or corruption.
