The most important change proposed by the authorities is to make exceptions to the health registration of pharmaceutical products in situations of critical shortage.

After receiving the approval from the Cabinet Council, it is expected that next week, the Minister of Health, Rosario Turner Montenegro, will present before the National Assembly the Draft Law, which seeks to amend Law 1 on Medicines.

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Fatima Vega, legal advisor to the Ministry of Health, said that “… The proposal focuses on two main articles that have to do directly with the purchase of medicines in a scenario of critical shortage. The exceptions to the health registry are being modified and, although what we want is to buy abroad in the face of critical drug shortage scenarios, we do not want to lose sight of the quality, safety and efficacy that must be met.”

The Ministry of Health statement specifies that “… what is being asked of suppliers, by law, is that they present certifications from countries with high standards or from organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).”

According to reports from CentralAmericaData, during the last year the main purchaser of pharmaceutical products in Central America was Costa Rica, with $777 million, followed by Guatemala, with $656 million, Panama, with $620 million, Honduras, with $500 million, Nicaragua, with $375 million and El Salvador, with $364 million.