The government has postponed the introduction of reference prices of medicines from 1 January to 1 April.
"Recently, the representatives of the pharmaceutical industry expressed concern over the introduction of reference prices of medicines. The industry said they required more time to sell the remaining medicines covered by the price regulation programme," the cabinet said in a statement on 1 February.
Reference prices will come into effect simultaneously with the drug cost reimbursement programme.
"The co-administration of these programmes will strengthen the cumulative positive effect," the government said.
The cabinet on 9 November 2016 adopted plans to launch a system of reimbursement of the cost of medicines for the treatment of some diseases.
Reference pricing is based on the calculation of the price of drugs by comparing the prices of these drugs in other countries. President Petro Poroshenko instructed the government to introduce the reference pricing last spring.