PERU

On March 30, the Executive Branch published the Regulations of the National Cancer Law, which aims to guarantee universal, free and priority coverage of health services for all oncology patients. Among the important points addressed by the regulation are the decentralization of care for oncology patients, the extension of comprehensive coverage from diagnosis and the use of mechanisms to obtain new drugs. On the other hand, these entities, both public and private, will have to finance the treatment, according to the patients’ insurance plans. The regulation is already in force. 

The regulation states that in the event that the patient requires the use of drugs not included in the Single National Essential Drug Formulary (PNUME in Spanish) or its complementary lists, the treating specialist may request them to the pharmacotherapeutic committee within a period of no more than seven calendar days. Said drugs will be registered through the computer application established by the National Authority of Pharmaceutical Products, Medical Devices and Health Products (ANM in Spanish).

In turn, the Ministry of Health (Minsa in Spanish) will update the complementary list of these pharmaceutical products every two years. In addition, it will prepare and approve regulatory documents establishing the high-cost threshold for the treatment of oncological diseases, within a maximum period of 30 working days. The decree also creates the National Tumor Bank and the National Tumor Bank Network, with the aim of having biomedical research information in favor of better diagnosis and treatment.