After a two-month hiatus, on August 14th the advisers of the Senate´s Health Committee resumed the study of the bill to create the National Health Technology Agency known as AGNET. The Committee seeks to amend the bill introduced by Senator Federico Pinedo (PRO). Relevant changes under consideration include a competitive selection mechanism for the directors and the possibility of the Agency issuing rulings on cost-effectiveness before the ANMAT (National Drug Administration, Food and Medical Technology, organism that certifies the innocuousness of medicines). The Committee will continue the study of the bill in the coming weeks.

During the meeting, the advisors analyzed AGNET’s role as a consultative body in judicial processes in which issues of a sanitary nature are resolved. Advisers of some senators said that it is necessary for the law to clearly state that the consultation is optional for judges, foreseeing that an accumulation of consultations could cause excessive delays in the resolution of the processes.

The draft that the advisors are studying also introduces changes regarding the selection of the members of the board of directors by public tender, with the exception of the president who will be appointed by the National Executive Branch. This change had been requested by all the specialists and sector representatives convened.