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Argentina: Social Works Council denounces drug price abuse

 |  June 19, 2017

The Council of Provincial Social Works of the Argentine Republic (COSSPRA), whose NEA chapter met last week, issued a document in which it expresses their concern over what they see as abuse in the prices of highly complex drugs. In addition, they asked the national government to intervene, establishing standards and carrying out effective control.

“We want to convey to the Government our deep concern about the behavior of the pharmaceutical market, which daily reports increases in the price of medicines,” they warned through the publication of an open letter in national newspapers.

“Since January 2016 to date, medications for high-cost pathologies such as cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, growth disorders and transplants have increased their prices by more than 50%,” they announced.

The Council said that high-cost drugs are not part of the pharmaceutical supply and can hardly be subjected to official price determination guidelines, as they are provided by specific laboratories with effective monopolies. This situation potentially puts the financing of the entire Health System at risk. Finally, they expressed their “absolute support to the immediate creation of a National Agency for the Evaluation of Sanitary Technologies”.

Full Content: Diario Chaco

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