After extensive meetings in the last three days between the authorities and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, distributors, pharmacy chains and independent pharmacies, where the main request was to request to postpone the entry into force of Decree No. 17 of August 10, 2022 for a period of one month, in order to carry out the pertinent adjustments and negotiations between the actors of the supply chain in order to guarantee its effectiveness, the request has not been accepted by the Government.
In these meetings, where members of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) participated, it was indicated that, if the necessary time was not given, there would be pharmacies that would find themselves in the painful need to close for not being able to comply with the established in the Decree, generating great confusion, affectation and annoyance in the country’s patients who buy their medicines in private pharmacies.
Additionally, the representatives of distributors and pharmacies presented a proposal to modify the Decree so that it would be clearly established that each of the three links in the supply chain – manufacturing laboratories, distributors and pharmacies – must provide a 30% discount on their sales prices to the next link, so that it is not the pharmacies that carry the weight of the discount. As well as, they also proposed to the authorities a proposal so that pharmacies can be compensated for the discount to retirees, which they have taken care of for more than 20 years.
According to the Chamber of Commerce, it is unfortunate that the National Government has ignored the request of all the sectors involved to grant additional time for the implementation of the Decree, which was based on technical, economic and commercial support, which responds to realities. of market.
This decision will affect the Panamanian private sector, at a time when we have pointed out that the most important thing is to be able to generate sustainable economic growth, which results in the creation of much-needed jobs.
