Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
23 September the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a decision to rename the State Service of Medicines to the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency (UPA), and 13 October dismissed Volodymyr Korolenko from the position of deputy head of the agency. At that time, Taras Proniv — a physician by training with many years of experience in the drug control system — was already serving as acting head of the UPA. StopCor examined what he is known for and what questions arise about his readiness to lead the regulator’s reform.
By Cabinet of Ministers order dated 13 October 2026, year No.1043-r dismissed Volodymyr Korolenko from the position of deputy head of the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency at his own request.
At that time, Taras Proniv was already carrying out the duties of acting head of the agency. By government order dated 7 October No.1010-r he was temporarily assigned to lead the UPA until a head is appointed in the prescribed manner.
Before his appointment, Taras Proniv held the position of deputy head of the State Service of Ukraine for Medicines and Drug Control (State Medicines Service) and chaired the commission on its liquidation. However, by CMU resolution dated 23 September 2026 year No. 1209 the Government canceled the decision to liquidate the State Medicines Service and renamed it the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency. The relevant changes came into force on 3 October 2026 year.
Notably, prior to that, since January 2026 Korolenko had headed the State Medicines Service. His term was accompanied by scandals, one of the loudest being the case surrounding production of the hemostatic agent “KrovoSpas” in Obukhiv. As StopCor previously reported, the State Medicines Service was slow to respond to reports of violations, citing a moratorium on inspections. At that time Korolenko was responsible for state oversight.
A new face or someone from the “old system”: what is known about Taras Proniv?
According to the official biography, Taras Proniv was born on 2 August 1964 in the Lviv region. He graduated from Boryslav Medical College and later from Ternopil State Medical Institute with a degree in General Medicine.
In 1992–1993 he worked as an oncologist at the Pidvolochysk Central District Hospital, and during 1993–1998 he served as an emergency surgeon at the same institution. Later his professional path changed: in 2000–2015 Proniv headed the private enterprise “Taras – P.”
The biography also notes that he was a deputy in the Pidvolochysk District Council, worked as an assistant to a people’s deputy of the VI–VII convocations, and as an assistant to the first deputy head of the Ternopil Regional State Administration. Since September 2016 he served as acting head of the territorial body of the State Medicines Service in Ternopil region (during that period the State Medicines Service was led by Roman Isaienko).
Since 2016 he has also been a member of:
the attestation commission for the certification of pharmacists and pharmaceutical specialists at the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control in Ternopil region;
the working group for tracking routes of distribution of falsified medicinal products, substances imported into Ukraine, and the movement and use of decommissioned technological equipment within Ternopil region;
the working group on humanitarian aid issues of the Ternopil Regional State Administration;
the coordination group for addressing urgent issues of drug addiction prevention and combating illegal drug distribution at the Ternopil Regional State Administration;
the board of the Health Department of the Ternopil Regional State Administration.
Thus, Proniv has experience in clinical medicine, managing an enterprise, and working in government institutions. However, which specific results of his regional work served as justification for entrusting him with leadership of the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency? After all, this is a fundamentally different level of responsibility.
Will Proniv’s existing experience help control drug quality?
Working among medical professionals can help understand patients’ needs and the importance of drug quality for treatment. At the same time, leading a pharmaceutical regulator requires organizing inspections, laboratory testing, licensing, and transparent decision-making.
Therefore, assessing Proniv’s readiness for the new role solely by his medical education or list of positions is insufficient. On what grounds was he entrusted with managing a newly created agency charged with controlling the quality and safety of medicines, market surveillance of medical devices and cosmetics, and licensing of trade and production of medicines?
Will inspections of reports about substandard drugs become more prompt? Will citizens receive clear responses to complaints? How will equal application of requirements to large companies and small market participants be ensured?
Public attention to this topic is growing against the backdrop of a broader discussion about the functioning of the pharmaceutical sector. In particular, StopCor previously analyzed pharmacy market concentration and its implications for consumers.
New name — but will there be changes in operation?
By resolution No.1209 dated 23 September 2026 year, the government renamed the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control to the Ukrainian Pharmaceutical Agency. The new regulations for Ukrpharmagentstvo are to come into force on 1 January 2027 year.
But what will actually improve regarding inspections, laboratory control, and communication with patients? Will the renaming really make a difference? Or will it only change the “facade”?
Recall that StopCor previously investigated the availability of inexpensive Ukrainian drugs in pharmacies. Availability and quality are separate characteristics of medicinal products, but both matter to the patient. Therefore public interest in the reform concerns the concrete conditions for acquiring and safely using medications.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Короленко звільнився, Пронів залишився: хто контролюватиме якість і безпеку ліків в Україні?". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: NARDEP 24.