Cuban authorities appeared on Tuesday at The round table to justify the increase in the prices of medicines due to the fact that they have to be imported at a high cost, as well as to explain some changes made after the discomfort caused to the population worried about the value of these products from 2021.
The Minister of Finance and Prices, Meisi Bolaños Weiss, referred to the “adjustments that have been made to the list of medicines” published in Resolution 345 of the ministry she leads, already published again in Official Gazette in a correction.
“It is important to reiterate that all products that are carded, controlled and complementary, maintain their current prices,” despite the fact that these products “have a real increase in their prices and you have to pay the manufacturing companies,” he said. .
“Medicine also has an economy,” he argued. “We must continue to support the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in our country, because it will also be a way to reduce costs in the production of medicines and will allow us to sell medicines to the population at lower prices than if we were to import them,” he said. he added.
“We listen to the opinions of the people, we pay attention above all the concerns, doubts and suggestions of the people”, in a speech in which he described the recent information on this issue as “distortions of the counter-revolutionary media”.
“We have noticed that certain lines have been included in the price lists of medicines that will not be sold in Community pharmacies, as they are intended for exclusive use in hospitals, where they are free and for this reason the list is updated by removing 50 medicines.” , said.
For example, he mentioned quinine sulfate and sodium chloride infused in bags, which are used only in hospitals.
Another change is 12 drugs that are removed from the list or their prices are changed because they will not continue to be exported, and this is the case of Cuban amoxicillin and dipyrone.
He reported that another 17 products are excluded based on the basic table definition because they will not continue to be produced or imported because they are replaced with others, including naproxen.
According to the minister, there will be drugs that, due to their weight characteristics, import or origin will have different prices, such as dipiron.
He said assessments of the problem continue to be made given “changing circumstances and real costs are expressed economically”. In this sense, “these prices will be transformed and updated,” he announced.
“We hope that 46% of the drugs sold in the pharmacy can increase, with a higher share of those in domestic production, because they will lower prices and cost less for the state budget,” Bolaños said.
He assured that if someone has a very expensive treatment and does not have the income capacity to buy it, there are structures for that person to be supported by social assistance, either because of low income or because of a certain situation. These cases should be addressed to the family doctor and the social worker in their district.
Dr. Emilio Delgado Iznaga, director of medicines and medical technology of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), reported that today the country has a baseline table of medicines for 2021 (adjusted for financial stress) containing 619 medicines.
Of the total, 365 are produced by the national pharmaceutical industry and 254 are imported in finished form by MINSAP, 272 are for sale in the pharmacy network and 347 are used in health institutions. This table covers the various pharmacological groups, which in turn cover the main health problems of the Cuban population, he said.
“This is an ideal but expensive table of drugs, which represents an expenditure of over 400 million dollars and that from the financial tensions we faced, the recurrence of the blockade and the situation generated by Covid-19 was affected, resulting in a reduced coverage, “he said.
Throughout the year, the lack of medicines in Cuba has been a constant. Recognized public faces, closely affected by this shortage, have been tasked with making this situation more visible through social media and solidarity in order to obtain the necessary drugs.