The new regulation, which entered into force on May 17, updates the terms and policies on health records of medicines in Panama.
The Regulation containing 611 articles was published in Gaceta Oficial No. 28776-B, and establishes two procedures for granting sanitary registrations, one regular and the other abbreviated, which applies to medicines coming from countries with high standards or strict authorities accredited by international organizations.
In the wholesale pharmaceutical distribution business, it is estimated that Cefa, Distribuidora Farmanova and Compañía Farmacéutica together represent about 65% of the market share.
Data from the report "Company's Corporate System", complied by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, provides details on company information based on sector, main activity, imports, exports, contracts granted by the government and other data.
Guatemala's pharmaceutical sector is demanding delays in the authorization of medicines, since it is estimated that more than a thousand dossiers are waiting for the endorsement to be legally commercialized in the country.
According to authorities of the College of Pharmacists and Chemists of Guatemala, the Department of Regulation and Control of Pharmaceuticals and Related Products of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) has been operating irregularly since January 2017, when its former headquarters located in zone 15 of Guatemala City caught fire.
During the first half of the year, purchases of vaccines for human use in Central America totaled $57 million, and imports from France increased 83% over the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system Vaccine Market for Human Use in Central America, from the Trade Intelligence Area of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
Arguing that the expected therapeutic effects were not proven, the Social Security of Guatemala decided to remove 107 medicines from the Basic List of Medicines.
On October 10th the Board of Directors of the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS) announced the approval of the new Basic List of Medicines, which excludes some vitamins, antidepressants and painkillers.
Between January and March of this year, companies in Guatemala imported $146 million worth of pharmaceutical products, and 62% came from Panama, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Figures from the information systemon the Pharmaceutical Products Market in Guatemala, compiled by theBusiness Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In El Salvador, companies in the pharmaceutical industry plan to achieve 5% growth in exports of their products this year.
A rebound in sales to Honduras and the opening of new markets is what is behind the projection of growth that the Association of Chemical-Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of El Salvador (INQUIFAR) has for this year.
The market for medicines in Colombia up to 2017 totalled $3.419 billion, of which 83% corresponded to sales of prescribed medicines, and the remaining 17% to OTC medicines.
A report by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office of Costa Rica details the characteristics of the pharmaceutical products market in Colombia, and highlights the opportunities available for companies in Central America that sell raw materials and supplies for manufacturing medicines.
The National Oncology Institute in Panama is putting out to tender 3,845 units of Cetuximab 5mg/ml, for intravenous administration.
Panama Government Purchase 2018-0-12-11-08-LP-013598:
"The purpose of the contract is the supply, storage, transport and partial delivery according to need of 3,845 vials of the drug Cetuximab 5mg/ml, vial of 20 Ml.
Starting in June, companies in the Dominican Republic will be able to request permission to import medicines, cosmetics and hygiene products through an electronic platform.
The Ministry of Health reported that "... the authorization application process will be carried out only electronically at the national level, through the SIGA portal of the Foreign Trade Single Window module and will be issued by the Ministry of Public Health via the Directorate General of Medicines, Foods and Health Products (DIGEMAPS)."
The National Hospital of San Rafael is putting out to tender a supply of 78 different types of medicines for the year 2018.
Government Purchase of El Salvador LP-03/2018:
"The supplies of Medicines for hospital use in this location, object of this tender, must be provided in accordance with the lines that are detailed in the bidding documents.
From April 23 to 26, entrepreneurs from the pharmaceutical sector will be visiting Guatemala and El Salvador to meet with companies interested in distributing their products.
This event is being organized by the Trade Office of the Embassy of Ecuador in Guatemala and will be held at the Barceló Hotel in Guatemala and El Salvador.
The Ministry of Health in Panama is putting out to tender the supply of 25,920 hemodialysis kits, for a period of 36 months.
Panama Government Purchase 2018-0-12-0-02-LP-023772:
"Requirements are for the supply of hemodialysis kits at a rate of 720 kits per month for 36 months, preventive maintenance service of the reverse osmosis plant and monthly service of diagnostic tests of reverse osmosis plant.