In order to replenish stocks of medicines the Social Security Department will be able to sign contracts directly for amounts up to $500,000.
With the backing of President the Social Security Department (CSS by its initials in Spanish) plans to start signing contracts directly in the next 30 days, after presenting a proposal to the Board of the institution next Tuesday.
Purchase orders for which drugs must now be delivered within 30 days, correspond to tenders challenged in 2014.
The National Director of Finance and Administration of the Social Security Department (CSS), Arcadio Clement, told Prensa.com that "... the orders correspond to the tenders 01-2014 for $23.6 million, and 10-2014 , for $133.7 million, both held last year.
The Social Security Department is preparing for the end of April the documents for the tender of 514 different types of drugs classified as essential, chronic and not so essential.
This tender will be held in the form of unit price and aims to secure the provision of drugs for one year. The amount of investment has not yet been defined, nor the details of the specifications to be established.
In a sector worth $307 million a year, 10% of the market is supplied by laboratories in the Panamanian capital, and the remaining 90% by international pharmaceutical companies.
The biggest challenges faced by domestic enterprises are the obstacles in importing raw materials, skilled labor, and delays in the registration process, among other things. "...
Due to claims submitted by the participating businesses to the Panamanian Social Security Department the tender process for purchasing 79 types of drugs has once again been suspended.
Due to complaints made by the companies "...Inversiones Tagore, S.A., Nutrimed y Pharma Alliance ", the authorities of the Social Security Department had to suspend the public act until the process presented before the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court is resolved.
Some forty companies submitted bids in the tender, worth $25 million, convened by the Panamanian Ministry of Public Health to provide drugs on the basic list for 2013.
The ministry has 30 days to review the proposals, so it is estimated that in about 60 days the drugs will be supplied to all health facilities.
"The order is intended to benefit the 14 health regions, Nicolás Solano Hospital in La Chorrera, the Tejeira Aquilino Hospital in Cocle, the Cecilio Castillero Hospital in Herrera, the Regional Hospital Luis "Chicho" Fabrega, in Veraguas, the Hospital Anita Moreno in Los Santos, the Joaquin Pablo Franco Sayas Hospital, in Las Tablas, the Hospital Jose Domingo de Obaldía, in Chiriqui, and in the capital city of the Children's Hospitals, Santo Tomás and San Miguel Arcángel, as well as the Cancer and Mental Health Institutes , among others", reported Laestrella.com.pa.
Guatemala did not participate in the final joint price negotiations and purchase of medicines at the regional level in the month of June.
Since 2008, Guatemala has not participated in any regional purchase of medicines, missing out on the opportunity to make savings by buying in bulk.
The negotiations ended in June with six pharmaceutical companies, for the purchase of 19 drugs, representing savings of $16 million for the region, "...
Smuggling and counterfeiting of drugs like Viagra and antibiotics is growing in Panama.
Panama’s privileged geographical location brings great benefits, but also risks.
Such is the case of drug smuggling, as the country has become a transit and distribution centre for these illegal products, which are sold on the black market at prices lower than in pharmacies and other authorized outlets.
A study of the regional competition in the wholesale supply chain and retail distribution of medicines in Central America.
The study aims at analyzing competition of the drug sector in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama from a regional perspective in order to strengthen coordination among these countries in promoting and protecting competition and universal access to safe medicines.
The cheapest medicines are found in Nicaragua, while those in Guatemala are the most expensive.
The Central American Consumer Protection Council published a study on the consumer prices of a basket of 30 brand name medications and another with 30 corresponding generic medications in 284 pharmacies in Central American capitols.
According to an article published in elnuevodiario.com.ni, a basket of 30 original medications costs $53 in Nicaragua, $61 in Costa Rica, $63 in Honduras, $68 in Panama, $75 in El Salvador, and $77 in Guatemala.