Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia have signed an agreement to jointly purchase medicines in order to access lower prices and reduce the cost of these acquisitions by about 20%.
The four countries agreed to draw up a list of the medicines they require to reach a consensus that will result in the final purchase, a process that will be supported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said El Comercio yesterday.
“Once we make the formal purchase order, PAHO calls for bids and in three months we have to have the results of those who should be the suppliers,” said Emilio Santelices, Chile’s health minister, in statements released Tuesday in the newspaper El Mercurio.
In the first stage of this alliance, which was closed within the framework of the 56th session of the PAHO Directing Council in Honduras last week, it was decided to make a joint purchase of 10 oncological drugs, which will be chosen according to the priorities of each one of the countries and will be distributed by the public health care services.
“Reducing the cost of drugs is a priority in Chile where original medicines (protected by patents) cost 38% more than the average of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, according to a study by the IQVIA consultancy in November, 2015”, the media explained.
