Laboratorios Paill has started the brand certification process in the Costa Rican market, and plans to start exporting its products next year.
The manufacturer of oral, injectable and ophthalmological drugs already exports its products to neighboring countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras, and plans to start
Droguería Americana, S.A. de C.V. and C. Imberton, S.A. de C.V., are under investigation for allegedly agreeing on pricing and division of customers relating to the distribution of three medicines nationwide.
The companies investigated are alleged to have agreed to fix prices and divide up customers in relation to distribution of the medicines Cataflam Oral Suspesion9 Mg.120 Mil x 1 (5ml) - an antiinflammatory and antirheumatic-, Diovan Capsules.160 Mg x 14 - related to the cardiovascular system - and Lamisil Tablets 250 Mg.X 28 - topical antifungals used in dermatology.
In 2016 Central American countries imported $118 million worth of human medicinal vaccines, 3% less than in 2015.
Figures from the information system on the Central American Market for human medicinal vaccines, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
From August 20th to 22nd the Ministries of Health will be jointly negotiating the purchase of international pharmaceutical drugs.
Medicines for the treatment of diabetes and cancer, kidney transplant processes, anticonvulsants, cardiovascular conditions and contraceptives are part of the products to be purchased by governments jointly in order to achieve better prices "... compared to other providers in the region."
In El Salvador the labs will be able to sell directly to pharmacies, bypassing drugstores, which will allow the retail price to be adjusted to the reference price.
From a press release issued by the Presidency of El Salvador:
The President, Mauricio Funes, said the government has reached an agreement with 14 companies grouped in the Central Federation of Pharmaceutical Laboratories (FEDEFARMA) to reverse the decision to remove 38 drugs from the Salvadoran market.
Pharmaceutical unions in El Salvador have denounced the regulations determining maximum pricing as being contradictory to the Medicines Act
Elsalvador.com reports that the legal counsel for Fedefarma y Diprofa, Luis Chávez, explained that the pricing for drugs is based on the active ingredient and not on each product: "This is the same as me asking for a point of law establishing a price ceiling on mobile phones. Imagine a law which declared a setting on price limits, as an average across all of Central America, on phones, including smart phones, simple phones, and those that are only for receiving calls."
Pharmaceutical industry representatives have expressed concerns about the regulation of the recently passed Medicines Act, noting that it will produce distortions in the functioning of the market.
In an article in Elsalvador.com FEDEFARMA's president, Alvaro Soto, said: "By setting maximum prices for medicines you can get the opposite effect: instead of prices going down, the cheapest generic medicines could go up.
Authorities announced that all regulated sales of drugs will likely experience a progressive reduction in prices, which by law must adjust to international averages.
The review article in Diariocolatino.com Coto statements José Vicente, director of Medicines, on the effective date of the regulation of drug prices.
According to the article, Coto said "except over the counter medications, all drugs are susceptible to progressive reduction in prices in the coming months, as they must adjust to international averages."
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, "... thereby allowing optimization of institutional budgets for the purchase of drugs while ensuring access to medicines for the population", reported the Pan American Health Organization.
Lack of legislation encouraging growth of the industry is holding up about $50 million in potential investments.
Mario Ancalmo, president of the Association of Pharmaceutical Chemical Industry in El Salvador (Inquifar) noted that at the moment there are only investments in small works to improve existing facilities, but no company is backing large investments in infrastructure, and this is a result of uncertainty in the sector generated by the recent approval of the Medicines Act.
A National Directorate of Drugs has been created which will set prices using an international reference value and ensure that the cost of medicines is not above the Central American average.
Mauricio Funes, El Salvador’s president, has passed the Medicines Act, which seeks to regulate the prices charged by distributors, reported Diario de Centroamerica on their website.
Salvadoran parties are wooing voters with promises to pass legislation that will lower the costs of medicines.
Political parties in El Salvador have included promises of cheaper drugs in their campaigns for the municipal elections of March 11th , waving the banner of passing a law whose discussion has been going on in Congress for a decade.
The Superintendency of Competition of El Salvador (SC) has confirmed the existence of barriers of entry and regulatory issues that are raising drug prices.
During Competitiveness Week 2011, the SC held a public event at which the Board's position regarding competition in the drug sector was announced.
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.
A committee comprising representatives of the region's health authorities plans to include medicines for treating patients with AIDS in its next negotiations.
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