Panama extends a discount on price of 170 medicines

Panama City, Feb 14 (Prensa Latina) A technical round table on medicines submitted to President Laurentino Cortizo the proposal to extend for another six months the 30-percent discount on the price of 170 drugs, it was reported on Tuesday.

February 14, 2023
11:32

Cortizo approved the current discount on medicines on August 15, 2022, for six months, which expires on Wednesday, the Executive reminded in an official note.

This measure was a response to one of the reasons for the protests that paralyzed the country in July 2022 and forced the Government to set up a single table of talks with social organizations on the high cost of medicines in private pharmacies, compared to other nations, including Latin American ones.

The high costs is combined with the lack of medicines in pharmacies of the Social Security Fund (CSS) and the Ministry of Health (MINSA), which forces patients to buy them or wait for the above mentioned institutions.

The patients’ associations in Panama recently demanded the immediate approval of a Medications Law, a project under discussion in the National Assembly (AN, Parliament) since September 2022.

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