Directorio Legislativo Foundation filed an official request of information on the medicines purchased as a result of the agreements signed with the member countries of MERCOSUR and / or UNASUR. Sources of Ministry of Health indicated that through the agreement Nº 05/15, the Ad Hoc Committee for the negotiation of high-cost medicines prices in the member countries was created (Comité Ad Hoc para la negociación de precios de medicamentos de alto costo en Estados Partes y Asociados del Mercosur – CAHPM). This institution is in charge of the aforementioned transaction.

The agreement establishes that the negotiation of prices will be carried out through the CAHPM with the joint participation of the Ministries of Health or their representatives. The Committee’s main function is to conduct joint negotiations on the prices of high-cost medicines.

It also has the task of approving a list of high-cost medicines of common interest; accompany the negotiation and monitor the process of purchase and delivery to the countries; be responsible for negotiating prices with the manufacturers and / or suppliers of medicines; and remit the agreed prices, in the Negotiation Act, to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to be the reference price for the mechanisms of acquisition of PAHO and the final contracting negotiated by the member States and Associates, among others.

Lastly, the CAHPM states that industries must offer a single price for all countries for each negotiated item valid for one year; that the maximum-reference price should be the lowest existing price in the region, including the rates applied and practiced in the countries; that the countries commit themselves before starting the negotiations; guarantee their budget availability for the subsequent acquisition through the PAHO Strategic Fund, and that the laboratories must comply with regulatory criteria of good practices.