Fulfilling one of the priority tasks and actions of President Laurentino Cortizo’s Action Plan, this Monday the president announced the appointment of the Vice President of the Republic José Gabriel Carrizo as the coordinator of the drug issue.
The head of the executive took advantage of the visit on Monday morning to the Rector’s Office of the University of Panama to explain that last Tuesday, December 29, he assigned the Vice President of the Republic and Minister of the Presidency, as responsible, by the executive, along with representatives of the National Assembly and other senior officials, to seek a mechanism that allows the reduction of the price of medicines, as one of the priority tasks for 2022.
In this sense, Cortizo invited the rector Dr. Eduardo Flores and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Oris Lam de Calvo, to designate a representative of the University of Panama to represent this house of studies at the meeting table. .
As part of the fight against poverty and inequality, Cortizo Cohen’s Action Plan contemplates the objective “Moving from ‘There is not to ‘There is in medicines'”, so that Panamanians have their medicines and avoid direct purchases at surcharges from the State .
The proposal is to make single purchases of medicines and supplies for the public health system with reference prices, through a “National Center for the Purchase of Medicines and Supplies”, including the option to buy through international organizations such as PAHO and UNOPS, explained the president.
The proposal adds that, for an effective supply of medicines, logistical and technological programs will be implemented for better planning and effective inventory control from purchase orders, receipt in storage and delivery of medicines to the patient.
Also included are “Popular Pharmacies” in neighborhoods and communities to offer quality and safe medicines at affordable prices and create the Panamanian Medicines Observatory in coordination with Acodeco, expanding the Basic Medicines Basket (CABAMED).
The commission appointed by Cortizo, which meets every week since January 2022, is also made up of the Minister of Health, Dr. Luis Francisco Sucre, the Minister Counselor of Health, Dr. Eyra Ruiz, the Minister of Government Janaina Tewanei, the Director of Pharmacy and Drugs of the Minsa, Dr. Elvia Lau, the Director of the Social Security Fund, Dr. Enrique Lau Cortés, the Director of Acodeco, Marco Carrizo and the General Director of Public Procurement Raphael Fuentes.
