Mexico to Promote Pharmaceutical Development and Auction Five Billion Dollars in Medicines
11 septiembre 2019

In the first days of September, representatives from pharmaceutical laboratories, medical device manufacturers and private health sector associations met with Health Secretary officials to start defining collaboration mechanisms and high impact projects to benefit the population and promote economic development in the sector. Organized by the Presidential Office, the meeting resulted in agreement between all  parties to continue analyzing the issue in the context of working groups in the coming weeks.

Future meetings are expected to address topics such as the development of the national pharmaceutical industry, better access to health services, technology use, and strengthening the strategy to tackle obesity. For the government, increasing competitiveness plays an essential role in improving patient care and achieving economic development. The private sector and Cofepris, the Mexcian Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risk, will analyze the best way to speed up regulatory procedures (without neglecting the quality and safety of products) to guarantee access to a broader range of medicines, healing materials and medical devices.

On September 8, the government presented its 2020 budget, which shows that the third item to receive the most funds is Health. The Secretary of the Treasury also indicated that they plan to relaunch the tender to purchase medicines (under the supervision of the Pan American Health Organization and the United Nations) within this framework. With the goal of ensuring greater access to drugs for the population, $100 billion pesos (US$ 5 billion) will be spent in the next few weeks on purchases of medicines, while the government and private sector continue to meet to ensure the development of the sector and the population’s access to health.

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