Will the Quality of Medicine be Affected by the Discount Plan?

The association that represents community pharmacies in Panama said it supports the plan announced by the government to reduce the price of the 20 most commonly used medicines in the country by up to 50%, and hopes that the process will be transparent and that the quality of the medicines will not be affected.

“Price reduction, while positive in its objective, must be carried out without compromising the quality of medicines or affecting the proper functioning of the health system,” said the National Union of Pharmacy Owners (Unprofa), which groups more than 450 of these businesses in Panama, in a statement.

The union considered it “crucial that market conditions be thoroughly reviewed, so that competition is not distorted or large players are favored to the detriment of smaller ones.”

UNPROFA also urged authorities to ensure “transparency in negotiations and distribution of medicines” and to ensure that “the most vulnerable patients are the ones who truly benefit” from the initiative.

The Government of Panama announced a reduction of up to 50% in the price of the 20 medicines most commonly used by the population of the Central American country, which has one of the highest drug prices in the region, according to the authorities themselves.

An official statement explained that the Ministry of Health “has purchased the medicines that will receive a discount of up to 50% and that will be sold to pharmacies, which have to carry out an adhesion procedure” with the health portfolio.

The list of 20 medications subject to the measure was also published, including those for blood pressure, diabetes and anxiolytics, according to the head of the Minsa, Fernando Boyd Galindo, who explained that “each medication will have a different discount.”

The discount will be guaranteed by granting an “automatic and immediate health registration” to medicines that are approved by regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe, explained Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.

This measure aims to “put an end to the drug mafia in the Pharmacy and Drugs Department” of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), and “will encourage competition, lowering prices, benefiting everyone,” added the head of state.

“This will be done with a commitment from the sector to sell to pharmacies at the same price as they sell to Minsa or Social Security. If they do not comply, I will do it through direct import. This time, Panamanians win,” said Mulino.

The president added that together with the consumer protection office, they will carry out “supply control, with heavy fines for those who speculate with people’s health,” because “these abuses” in the cost of medicines will be put to an end, he added.