Purchase of medicines improves with Sheinbaum’s plan, but doubts persist

In addition, he explains, the Ministry of Health has taken into account the previous comments that the sector shared with its owner, David Kershenobich, to achieve a timely supply and for the Mexican industry to participate on equal terms, with transparency and legal certainty.

“One of the most important signs of this new administration is, precisely, allowing dialogue,” he highlights.

Devlyn agrees that the modifications in the acquisition give certainty to the pharmaceutical industry and will contribute to improving the supply of medicines in the country.

Delivery times

The planning in this Mega purchase gives peace of mind, since in the past acquisitions were made expressly. Now, Sheinbaum’s government is going to acquire 4,934 million medicines and health supplies in a bidding process that started in October.

According to the authorities, in the first half of October they made a diagnosis of the current supply and defined the demand for each health institution. Before launching the tender in the middle of this month, the Ministry of Health receives comments and suggestions. The contracts should be awarded in December.

This gives a reasonable time for the industry to produce the drugs, says the director of Canifarma.

“It takes four months to be able to have the medications in a timely manner,” he says. “It is not the same as putting out the tender and asking for it to be delivered on the first day of the following month, that is, that is impossible,” he points out.

For the CCE health coordinator, the four months given by the authorities is a tight period, but it does allow the laboratories to obtain the active ingredients and deliver on time.

Gual also highlights the work to estimate the demand for medicines by each institution and states that they have also offered support to the authorities in this area based on their experience.