In light of the recent statements by the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, regarding unified purchases by the Social Security Fund (CSS), the president of the pharmacists’ association, Jaime Olive, expressed the association’s acceptance of the implementation of this measure, noting that, if carried out properly, it could yield positive results.
“If things are done well, it can yield good results,” Olive said, adding that this is not a new initiative. In the past, a former CSS director implemented a similar model that proved successful. However, the College has called for the process not to be limited to a simple tender, but to be carried out under the modality of a supply contract.
According to the president of the College of Pharmacists, a traditional tender only represents an expectation for the participating companies, whereas a supply contract guarantees that the winning company has the responsibility of supplying and distributing the products in certain areas of the country, instead of limiting itself to delivering the inputs to a central warehouse.
“This is key to ensuring the effectiveness of the process and that the products reach the areas that need them most,” Olive said, highlighting the importance of specifying the delivery conditions in the contract for greater efficiency in the distribution of medicines and supplies.
At the end, the representative of the pharmacists clarified that the unified purchase must be made through the mechanism already provided for by the Law, a reverse auction, which is where the State will guarantee the fair price and the intervention of all companies that want to participate in the supply contracts for x or y medication.
