Vladimir Putin has signed a law launching an experiment on the sale of medicines through mobile pharmacy units. The document has been published on the official legal information portal. The experiment is set to run from 2026 to 2029, after which mobile pharmacies could begin operating across Russia.
How it will work
Mobile pharmacy units will visit each locality according to a fixed schedule and operate there for one hour per week. They will be equipped with the necessary equipment and electronic payment systems, and will be staffed by pharmacists.
As representatives of the State Duma previously said, these units will also be able to provide medicines available only by prescription upon order. One mobile pharmacy will be able to serve up to 50 localities.
Where the experiment will take place
Participation in the program will be voluntary. More than 10 regions have already declared their readiness to join, including Krasnoyarsk and Krasnodar regions, Nizhny Novgorod and Tyumen regions, as well as the “DPR” and Buryatia.
Sales through such units will be permitted only in localities where there are no regular pharmacies or organizations holding a pharmaceutical license.
Funding and restrictions
The cost of creating the system will be borne by pharmacy organizations. As stated, no additional budget funding will be required.
At the same time, mobile pharmacies will not be allowed to sell medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances, or medicines with an alcohol content above 25%.
Why the measure was introduced
According to State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, as of the end of September 2025, Russia had about 83,000 pharmacies, but only 14% of them were located in sparsely populated and hard-to-reach areas, where about 8 million people live.