The National Assembly’s Health Rights Committee called upon the Ministry of Public Health, the National Public Procurement Service, and the National Health Regulation, Control and Oversight Agency (Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria or Arcsa) to review the quality control and public procurement methods used for medications following the entry of tons of expired and adulterated medications into the country.

The legislative body also announced that it will ask the Ministry of Health, Arcsa, and the Ministry of the Interior to promote information campaigns on the public’s medication purchases and will require the State Attorney General and the Judiciary Council to forward all information related to the judicial process, guilty verdicts, and comprehensive remedies for victims under the definition provided in Article 217 of the Organic Criminal Code with regard to counterfeit, expired, or adulterated medications.

The Committee made this decision following a meeting with representatives from Arcsa, the Ministry of the Interior, and the National Customs Service for information on controlling the situation involving the expired and counterfeit medications.