After the tension between the Government and prepaid companies, another dispute becomes relevant in the field of health. Pharmacists point
out
against the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (
Anmat
) for the change to the
free sale label of 22 medicines
that are dispensed by prescription.
The Argentine Union of Pharmacists and Biochemists (
Safyb
) denounces that the Government's decision
is
“
a mistake
” and that there is an
agreement with laboratories
. “It is a big mistake, an agreement reached with the laboratories, the request to Anmat to change the category from prescription sale to over-the-counter sale of 22 medications,” said
Marcelo Peretta
, general secretary of the union.
“The switching of medicines
only benefits laboratories
that do not want restrictions and
stimulate sales and abuse
through their advertising artillery,” criticized the Safyb representative, adding: “If the order is approved,
consumption will continue to be trivialized
and
promoting self-medication
and the
irrational use
of drugs that end in new medical consultations and health problems that the State must then pay for.”
Peretta thus warned about the “
clear contraindications
” and the “
serious adverse effects
” of the change, and clarified that it is not “an issue of quality, safety and efficacy proven for five years, as Anmat states,” but rather “a problem of
lack of consumer education
, which is at the mercy of the market, which only wants to sell without assuming the consequences.” In this regard, she expressed her concern about the “
indiscriminate sale
.”
Also, he attacked the
Minister of Health, Mario Russo
: “Despite the complete inaction of the Ministry to stop the increase in prices of medicines, prepaid and repellents and the notable loss of access to health for Argentines, the minister
works full time for the pharmaceutical industry
and entrusted Anmat, through resolution MS 284/24, to change the category of these 22 medications, which must be evaluated within the framework of law 16,463 and its decree 9,763/64, considering the nature of each product, its composition and health risks.”
According to the union, releasing the sale of active ingredients such as
Orlistat
,
Acyclovir
,
Tadalafil
and
Pantoprazole
can cause allergies, arrhythmias, diarrhea, hypotension, hypertension, infertility, priapism, jaundice, blindness, kidney damage and pneumonia, among other effects.
“
They are not harmless
, they have contraindications, interactions and unwanted reactions. The Government wants to take them out of the hands of the doctor and pharmacist, and for them to be sold freely in
kiosks
without control
,” Peretta considered.
Beyond the process established by Anmat, based on the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (IFAs) of the Registry of Medicinal Specialties (REM),
the list to change category,
identified as IF-2024-32293612-APN-ANMAT#MS,
will be reviewed
according to the ATC classification that groups them by their anatomy and therapeutic and chemical action, following the guidelines of the provision of Anmat 3,686/11.
Increase in drug prices
Once the agreements between the laboratories and the previous government were finalized - which, although voluntary compliance, implied regulation -, medicines increased more than
110%
in the last three months, 40% above inflation, according to the Center for Professionals Argentine Pharmaceuticals (
Ceprofar
).
In 2023, they increased their prices by
319.1%,
largely due to the increases verified in the last two months of the year. As at the start of 2024, the increase is above the accumulated annual inflation of 2023, of
211.4%.
Due to these increases, more than 10.8 million
monthly units
were stopped being purchased .
In January, the drop in sales was
18.2%
, boosted by the price disparity in the brands of the most used medications, such as
Omeprazole
(antiulcer),
Losartan
(antihypertensive),
Clopidogrel
(antithrombotic),
Paracetamol
(analgesic) ,
Ciprofloxacin
(antibiotic), Ibuprofen (pain reliever),
Salbutamol
(bronchodilator) and
Enalapril
(antihypertensive), among others.