The Government expressed its concern about this situation and announced plans to regulate drug prices and guarantee the population’s access to essential treatments.
The recent outlook on price hikes in medicines begins to generate a great concern about health coverage and possible shortages. Since the finalization of the price agreements between the government and the laboratories, at the end of October, meteoric increases have been recorded.
According to him Center of Argentine Pharmaceutical Professionals (Ceprofar), these increases averaged 85% between November 1 and December 15. So far this year, drug prices have risen 308%, far exceeding the inflation rate reported by INDEC.
Ceprofar has expressed concern about the possibility that these increases impact coverage through social works, whose income is linked to the salaries of its members. They have also pointed out concern about the potential impact on the free delivery of medicines through the PAMIa program that currently benefits 9 out of 10 retirees in the country.
Medicines: the impact of devaluation
A detailed price analysis carried out by pharmacists revealed that common medications such as Amoxicillin 500mg have increased by 138% since November, reaching a value of 4,800 pesos. Levothyroxine, used to treat hypothyroidism, saw a 105% increase in that same period, doubling the increase recorded throughout the year.
Furthermore, drugs such as Losartan, Enalapril, Clonasepam and Alpralozam, used to treat blood pressure and anxiety problems, have also seen considerable increases of 90%. This situation raises obvious concerns about access to essential treatments for various health problems.
Concern about the shortage of free medicines through PAMI perhaps represents the biggest alert. Although no significant changes have been observed so far in the supply of these products, pharmacies have noticed a notable decrease in demand. Users now prioritize asking about prices, a behavior that was previously not as common, according to reports from local pharmacists.
The Government expressed its concern about this situation and announced plans to regulate drug prices and guarantee the population’s access to essential treatments. However, precise details have not yet been given about the implementation of these plans, generating uncertainty in the midst of this growing problem.
Source: Ambito
