Africa-Press – Cape verde. Medicine prices may increase in 2023, taking into account the increase in prices in reference markets, namely Portugal and Spain, admits the president of the Independent Health Regulatory Entity (ERIS), Eduardo Tavares.
Quoted by Inforpress, Eduardo Tavares said that ERIS is currently waiting for the assessment and approval of the proposal to review the mechanisms for setting the prices of medicines, with the aim of correcting some gaps that were identified during the application of the mechanism in force.
“After the Government’s approval, we will review the prices of medicines in the light of this mechanism, which, obviously, will have to absorb the impacts of price changes in international markets”, he indicated, adding that the process of changing the mechanism was a painstaking job. , with consultation of all stakeholders.
annual review
The review of drug prices is carried out on an annual basis, but according to Eduardo Tavares there may be situations of extraordinary review, if at any given time it is noted that there is a significant change in prices in the reference markets for Cape Verde.
In Portugal, news published in November and December reported that, due to the increase in the production costs of medicines that has occurred over the last year, the associations that represent the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacies in Portugal and the Order of Doctors have insisted with the Government that there be an upward revision of the price of drugs, especially the cheapest ones, which have lower profit margins.
ruptures
The president of ERIS confirmed that Cape Verde, being an importing country par excellence, has registered shortages of some medicines, similar to what happens in several countries around the world.
“We only produce about a third of our needs. And everything else is imported,” she said.
This source also said that for imported medicines there is this “fragility” because when many countries notice that certain medicines are about to break down “they prevent export to other countries”. This, he assured, naturally affects Cape Verde.
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