They ask to regulate prices of essential medicines against COVID-19

As expected, in a context of the third wave of the pandemic, various users reported a lack of generics in drugstores and pharmacies, mainly those related to the treatment of COVID-19. And that, on the contrary, establishments are offering brand name drugs that cost up to 10 times more.

In that line, the General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (Digemid) reported yesterday that in inspections carried out at the national level, they detected that 40% of pharmacies and apothecaries committed a fault by not selling essential generic medicines, for which they were sanctioned.

It should be noted that at the beginning of the health emergency in 2020, when a similar scenario was presented with high demand and speculation, The Executive declared a list of generic medicines as essential goods, with which pharmacies are obliged to have available stock of these.

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The list includes 48 essential generics, of which 21 are for the treatment of COVID-19 (see infographic). Paracetamol, azithromycin, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone stand out.

The Republic requested a response to Inkafarma and Mifarma about what was reported by users, but the firm limited itself to forwarding a past statement. Meanwhile, from the National Association of Chains and Pharmacies (Anacab), pointed out that there are delays in the distribution chains due to lack of personnel due to the infections of their workers.

regulate prices

Given this situation, the dean of the Pharmaceutical Chemical College of Peru, Arnaldo Tipiani, urged the Government to regulate the prices of medicines against COVID-19, given the high demand and to avoid speculation by pharmaceutical companies.

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“Pharmacies and drugstores are regulating by supply and demand, and there is speculation or hoarding. The Government has to take action on the matter by establishing price control policies. The situation warrants it, given that the market is not well regulated and generates this type of overpricing and speculation”, He said in an interview with a local media.

This is in line with what was announced by the Minister of Health, Hernando Cevallos, who indicated that the Executive is evaluating applying ceilings to the prices of these medicines. To do this, they will have meetings with the sector’s unions, such as representatives of pharmacies, clinics and oxygen providers.

“Before the omicron variant, a greater consumption of medicines has been generated throughout the country. We respect freedom of enterprise, but what we are not going to allow is what happened in the first wave, that one sector greatly affected the population. Businessmen speculated on the serious health situation and prices skyrocketed, oxygen and the price of ICU beds in clinics skyrocketed. There has to be a limit, a price ceiling,” he said.

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About, Javier Llamoza, researcher of International Health Action (AIS), pointed out that this measure can be applied after evaluation with the unions of the sector. Since the cost of production of each product must be validated, and based on it set a maximum profit margin. He pointed out that the mechanism is applied in various countries and is endorsed by the WHO.

For its part, Carla Sifuentes, president of Anacab, He pointed out that price control would generate black markets and greater informality, and that informal medicine currently accounts for 13% of the sector.

The key: supply public hospitals

The former Minister of Health Victor Zamora He pointed out that during his administration, in 2020, regulating drug prices was evaluated, but that there was a risk of falling into a claim of unconstitutionality for interfering in the market.

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However, he indicated that the State must speed up the supply of these drugs in public hospitals, so as not to transfer the demand to the private sector.

In addition, he emphasized that the number of MINSA pharmacies can be increased in more districts and regions in order to generate competition. This measure was arranged with the generics law, but has not progressed so far.

For their part, from Anacab they pointed out that to avoid speculation, gaps in health should be closed and they suggest that the pharmacies be an additional distribution arm for the State.

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reactions

Arnaldo Tipiani, dean Pharmaceutical Chemical College

“The Government has to take action on the matter by establishing price control policies. The State must now intervene as a regulatory entity. Only in this case of a pandemic, as an exception.

Carmen Ponce, General Director Digemid

“(The price increase) is against ethics, it is totally sanctioned. There have been cases due to bad promotions or bad information, that we have even sent complaints through Indecopi”.