The commission that evaluates the issue of medicines focused this Friday on issues such as knowing the manufacturers, costs and consumption, said the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, a member of the table.
So far, 108 products from the drug basket have been reviewed to assess whether a price cap is placed on them or the profit margin is regulated, and he added that the discussion has been extensive and drugs that are not on the list but that they have a high consumption in the population, the minister mentioned.
“The regulation of certain products was recommended, several factors were reviewed, including availability and costs, so that what is offered to citizens are the products that are on the market,” said Sucre.
The important thing, Sucre said, is that for days the subcommittee has been working with a list based on the basic basket of medicines provided by Acodeco, which contains the lists of medicines and consumer prices.
“What we are discussing today is to verify whether or not the list of medicines is regulated and their presentations, so we try to make it one for adults and one for infants within each group, which is why there are representatives of Acodeco here, the pharmacists, the association of pharmacists, representatives of chronic patients and there the discussion is broadened, since the directive of President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen and the National Government is to reach a broad consensus for next Tuesday to raise the proposals to the technical table of medicines ”, for which they have been declared in permanent session, mentioned the Minister of Health.
For her part, Minister Counselor Eyra Ruiz stressed that the lists are being reviewed to evaluate adding other products and added that since yesterday not only representatives of MINSA, but also representatives of the CSS, the DGCP, the ACODECO, have participated in this work table. College of Pharmacists, Faculty of Pharmacy, COMENENAL, CCIA, Chamber of Commerce, SIP, Fedecamaras, Conep, pharmaceutical companies and representatives of chronic patients.
“We are meeting to be able to reach consensual agreements for the benefit of all Panamanians and we reiterate that we are responsible, since we are evaluating the types of medication by type of therapy,” Ruiz said.
Source: Minsa
