As of this year, the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios – Cofepris) will promote a regulatory policy to guarantee the population’s access to more and better health conditions. The main objective is to offer low prices, avoiding multiple health risks and relying on collaborating with some of the most important agencies in the world – through a system known under the acronym PIC / S.

The Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme (Esquema de Cooperación Farmacéutica) fosters clinical research; medical devices; innovative, generic and biotechnological medicines; and works to reduce the gap in scientific knowledge. Cofepris will access to the benefits of integration at an international level as recognition for the tasks of health regulation designed, implemented and monitored in compliance with global public health parameters.

At a regional level, the federal commission will also be responsible for leading the National Regulatory Agencies of Regional Reference (Agencias Reguladoras Nacionales de Referencia Regional – ARNr) in the Americas for 2018-2019. Many countries in the continent will seek to harmonize their legislation on these issues, in a collaborative work between Argentina (ANMAT), Brazil (ANVISA), Canada (Health Canada), Colombia (INVIMA), Cuba (CECMED), Chile (INSP) and United States (FDA).

On its part, Mexico will continue with its strategy to release generic and innovative medicines – in accordance with decree NOM-257 – and will seek to control the therapeutic use of cannabis. At the same time, the government intends to reduce the knowledge gap in medical issues. In order to do this, it will carry out the second International Cofepris Week, including the first digital course on Health Sciences (in collaboration with the University of California).

Julio Sánchez y Tépoz, head of the government agency, said that, following the instructions of the Secretary of Health (Secretario de Salud), the institution will continue working to improve the supply of local markets, with safe, effective and highest-quality products. Its role to fulfill is not only to protect individuals from health risks, but also to encourage economic activity of the sector and to fight against suppliers that fail to comply with current health regulations.