The technical table for medicines led by the Vice President of the Republic, José Gabriel Carrizo, made a series of recommendations to President Laurentino Cortizo on Tuesday afternoon, as part of the measures to improve the supply of medicines in the country.
In this sense, Carrizo explained that the table agreed to recommend to the president to invoke article 106 of Law 1 of Medications.
He explained that almost all sectors approved this suggestion, except businessmen, who abstained, because it was suggested that Acodeco be the body that analyzes which medicines or which products would be on that exceptional or emergency list, as established in the article. 106 of Law 1.
Article 106 of Law 1 refers to the power of the Executive Branch to establish reference ceiling prices for medicines, in order to preserve the best interest of the consumer in circumstances in which the behavior of prices in the national market is not related to the prices of said products or their similar ones at an international level.
In this case, the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, proposed creating a work team to determine which medicines will be included in the list invoked in article 106.
He also explained that the president was recommended to submit the executive decree that regulates Law 1 of 2001, which includes title 4, which seeks to eliminate barriers so that more safe and efficient medicines can access the local market, with the respective supervision.
“The modification of Decree 869 of October 27, 2021 was recommended to include a country prequalified by the WHO in the list of countries that Panama already had,” he highlighted.
The standardization of the requirements indicated in the regulations of Central American treaties is also suggested.
