Pharmacoeconomics: Open Access

Description of Drug Pricing and Procurement Information Web Portals in Some Latin American Countries

Abstract

Angela Acosta*, Sergio Basto, María Fernanda Fonseca, Carlos Durán, Claudia Vargas and Joan Rovira

Background: This study aims to characterize the sources of information on pricing and public procurement available in some Latin American countries, in order to facilitate the development of comparative studies in the region and the implementation of pharmaceutical policies such as price regulation.

Methods: Description of the sources of information in terms of web portals characteristics, general characteristics of information, characteristics of pricing data and drug public procurement data.

Results: The sources of information described are Brazil’s Health Price Database (BPS), the Brazilian Drug Market Regulation Chamber (CMED), the Chilecompra Public Procurement Portal, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) Procurement Portal, Panamácompra Public Procurement Portal, Argentina’s K@iros portal, the Peruvian Pharmaceutical Products Observatory (OPFP), the National Public Procurement Service of Ecuador (SERCOP) and the Drug Price Information System of Colombia (SISMED). Eight of the nine portals belong to governmental entities such as ministries, public procurement centers or drug regulatory agencies. Portals such as the BPS provide visibility and transparency. Thus, each public institution exercises its role of social control and surveillance of the public administration. Other sectors of society are also benefited and use the information available for various consultations and studies. Commercial transactions data on open access websites more accurately account for the national drug volume and expenditure than other sources.

Conclusions: The characterization carried out enhances the transparency of information on prices and public procurement of medicines to contribute to the decision-making of Latin American governments regarding negotiations for the purchase of pharmaceutical products, fixing and building international reference prices and adjusting prices of already regulated medicines, as well as the consumption of this information for the development of drug use studies.