Peru’s Ministry of Health (MINSA) is responsible for leading the National and Decentralized Health System, the policy for universal health insurance and the intersectoral policies and actions on social determinants.

As of 6 March 2020, failure to comply with the Government's provisions would result in the application of the scale of infringements and penalties to pharmacies and apothecaries for not keeping available the dispensing of generic essential medicines from the list approved by MINSA.

By law, this could range from a non-monetary reprimand to the payment of two Tax Units (Unidades Impositivas Tributarias, UIT) (S/8,600). MINSA's National Center for the Supply of Strategic Health Resources (Cenares) will be responsible for the follow-up, monitoring and evaluation of compliance with the law.

These establishments must also keep available for dispensing or dispensing the complete treatment regimens for each of the listed medicines.

The list is composed of 31 medicines for respiratory ailments, diabetes, hypertension, mental health, fungal infections, among others. It also indicates the (mg/mL) that the product should have, as well as the presentation (tablet, syrup or inhaler as in the case of salbutamol).

These are generic drugs with an International Nonproprietary Name (INN), that is without a brand name, contained in the Single National Formulary of Essential Medicines (Petitorio Nacional Único de Medicamentos Esenciale, Pnume). Among them are amitriptyline, amoxicillin, azithromycin, clonazepam, enalaptril, fluconazole, ibuprofen, loratadine, naproxen, paracetamol, prednisone and omeprazole.

Recently an agreement was established between the Municipality of San Borja and the DIRIS Lima Centro which means that this department of the Ministry of Health oversees the supply of generic medicines, in agreement with Pnume. This is an example of how a joint effort with local governments can bring more people into the health system.

Editor’s comment
Readers interested to learn more about the use of generics in other countries are invited to visit www.gabi-journal.net to view the following manuscript published in GaBI Journal:

‘To prescribe generics is to play with the life of the patient’: misconceptions of generics in Guatemala

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Readers interested in contributing a research or perspective paper in Spanish and/or English on the use of generics to GaBI Journal – an independent, peer reviewed academic journal – please submit your manuscript here.

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