Background on the Situation
The Asociación Mexicana de Laboratorios Farmacéuticos (Amelaf) has revealed that the federal government’s debt to Mexican pharmaceutical companies for medication purchases has doubled in recent months, now totaling 2,500 million pesos. This debt has been accumulating for four years and was initially reported to be 1,000 million pesos by the previous administration in January of this year.
Key Players and Their Roles
Amelaf’s president, Juan de Villafranca, explained the situation during a radio interview. He mentioned that 1,500 million pesos of the debt come from IMSS-Bienestar, while 1,000 million pesos are owed for medications delivered since 2021 through the now-defunct Instituto de Salud para el Bienestar (Insabi).
In May 2023, a decree was published formalizing the dissolution of Insabi and transferring its functions to IMSS-Bienestar. This decree set a six-month deadline for completing the transition, including outstanding payments. However, no progress has been made in releasing these funds.
New Delays from Current Administration
Besides the inherited debt from the previous administration, Amelaf reports new unpaid amounts from the current government. Specifically, the ISSSTE has delayed payments despite being “very up-to-date” previously, according to de Villafranca.
Continued Medication Delivery Despite Financial Strain
Despite facing financial difficulties due to the government’s unpaid debts, pharmaceutical companies have continued delivering medications corresponding to the consolidated purchases for 2025 and 2026, as per contractual obligations.
De Villafranca emphasized this point in response to arguments from Palacio Nacional attributing hospital medication shortages to laboratory non-compliance.
He clarified that some IMSS-Bienestar warehouses experienced issues receiving medications due to saturation, causing problems a few weeks ago. However, the situation is now being resolved, and laboratories continue producing and delivering medications according to their government contracts.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the total debt owed by the federal government to Mexican pharmaceutical companies? The debt has grown to 2,500 million pesos.
- Which government entities are responsible for the unpaid debts? IMSS-Bienestar and, to some extent, the ISSSTE.
- What was the initial debt reported by the previous administration? 1,000 million pesos.
- What happened to the Insabi? It was formally dissolved in May 2023, with its functions transferred to IMSS-Bienestar.
- Have pharmaceutical companies continued delivering medications despite the financial strain? Yes, they have continued fulfilling their contractual obligations to supply medications.
