The government owes 8 billion pesos to the pharmaceutical industry.

The  federal government  continues accumulating a million-dollar debt with the pharmaceutical industry, generating uncertainty  in a crucial sector for public health.

According to  Rafael Gual, general director of the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (Canifarma), the outstanding balance amounts to 8,000 million pesos. 

Despite having paid 4,000 million pesos, which represents only a third of the total amount owed, there is no defined date for full settlement.

A debt that the current government carries over from the previous one

This financial problem has been carried over since the disappearance of the Institute of Health for Well-being (INSABI), an organization created by the current administration and which ended up being an operational failure.

Almost two years after its extinction, the debt persists, affecting the relationship between the government and the pharmaceutical industry. Gual has expressed his hope that the process of invoice and delivery reconciliation progresses, but he acknowledges that the outstanding balance remains a considerable figure that requires prompt attention.

Meanwhile, Eduardo Clark, Undersecretary of  Integration and Development of the Health Sector, assured that the payments are a “priority”, although the facts show that the backlog remains significant.

With  the disappearance of INSABI in 2023, the Mexican Institute of Social Security-Well-being (IMSS-Bienestar) assumed the functions of purchasing and distributing medicines. However, the process has been slow and plagued with irregularities.

Clark has mentioned the implementation of reconciliation tables with the pharmaceutical industry, but the payments continue to be delayed.

The Mexican health sector is declining since Morena governs

The disorder  in the health sector  is not only limited to the debt, but also to the logistics of medicine distribution. While the deliveries of medical supplies have begun, obstacles related to storage capacity in hospitals and state centers persist.

Added to this is the irregular purchase of 175 drug and supply keys at overprices  amounting to 13,000 million pesos. An irregularity that highlights the mismanagement of public resources in the sector.

Additionally, the first national public tender left several drug keys deserted, further complicating the supply.

The lack of foresight and strategy in the acquisition and distribution of drugs has caused delays that directly affect patients. This is highlighting a structural problem that the current administration has not managed to solve.

Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry continues to wait for the government to fulfill its financial commitments to ensure access to medicines in the country.