On February 14, the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) launched a group to work on regulating the National Drug Policy, which should be ready by May this year. Also, on February 20, the Directorate approved the internal regulations of the Inter-institutional Executive Committee for the Prevention, Detection and Prosecution of Presumably Counterfeit or Illicit Pharmaceutical Products. The Committee will be in charge of designing measures to combat these issues which will start to be known in the coming weeks.

The aim of the working group is to draft new legislation governing the supply of medicines in the country with input from representatives of various agencies, including MINSA, the National College of Pharmacists, the National Commission of Medicines of Panama (CONAMEP), the National Directorate of Drugs and Health Supplies, among others, as well as the National Customs Authority.

In addition, the new Committee will be drawing up strategies to prevent, detect and prosecute sub-standard and allegedly counterfeit or illicit pharmaceutical products in the country.