Background on the Situation
The Mexican Secretary of Health is currently reviewing delays in the signing of contracts for consolidated purchases of medicines and medical supplies for the period 2025-2026. This investigation comes after the Mexican Association of Pharmaceutical Research Industries (AMIIF) reported that 40% of the assigned agreements to its affiliated companies had not yet been formalized or signed.
Key Players and Their Roles
Eduardo Clark: The Undersecretary of Integration and Development of the Health Sector, Eduardo Clark, has been at the forefront of this issue. He has been holding individual meetings with institutions such as IMSS, ISSSTE, and IMSS-Bienestar to understand the reasons behind the lack of formalization and to find solutions.
Clark’s Objectives
- Firm Contracts: Clark aims to have all contracts signed within the next two weeks, especially those related to patented medicines and single-source suppliers.
- Negotiation Adjustments:
- During negotiations, pharmaceutical companies and suppliers were allowed to propose changes in purchase volumes to improve drug and medical supply prices and effectiveness.
- Administrative Formalization:
- These adjustments are still being formalized administratively, causing delays in certain single-source contracts.
Large-Scale Procurement Challenges
Clark explained that the sheer volume of procurement necessitates a large number of contracts to be formalized simultaneously, which naturally causes some delays. However, he emphasized that “the majority of contracts have already been signed,” and this should be clear.
Upcoming Auction of Medical Supplies
Eduardo Clark announced that an auction for medical supplies and equipment will commence on Monday, May 26th, following the annulment of the initial bidding process due to irregularities.
- Irregularities: The federal department detected issues such as overpriced items (between 13,000 and 15,000 million pesots) that were not paid, as well as the submission of false information about participants and suppliers who did not belong to the pharmaceutical industry.
- Timeline: Clark aims to complete the process by Friday, concluding the key registration that was declared null during the anti-corruption and good governance investigation conducted by the Secretariat.
Progress on Contracts and Supply Orders
Eduardo Clark has coordinated the largest procurement of medicines and medical supplies in Mexico to ensure availability among 26 public health institutions. He reported that more than 200 keys have already registered remittance orders.
- Single-Source and Patented Medicines: There have been no issues with product receipt or supplier non-compliance for lower-volume, patented medicines and supplies. Direct deliveries to designated hospitals were negotiated last year.
- Generic Products:
- The first round of generic products has been allocated, and contracts are being formalized. Some institutions have started placing supply orders.
Consolidated Procurement Details
Through the consolidated procurement of medicines and medical supplies, the Mexican government tendered 4,454 keys, equivalent to 4,934 million pieces, which will be distributed among 26 health institutions—including IMSS, ISSSTE, IMSS-Bienestar, and other public health entities—during 2025 and 2026.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the issue at hand? The Mexican Secretary of Health is investigating delays in signing contracts for consolidated purchases of medicines and medical supplies for 2025-2026.
- Who is Eduardo Clark and why is he relevant? Eduardo Clark, the Undersecretary of Integration and Development of the Health Sector, is leading the investigation and coordination efforts to ensure availability of medicines and supplies across 26 public health institutions.
- What are the causes of the delays? Delays are attributed to negotiation adjustments, administrative formalization processes, and the sheer volume of procurement requiring simultaneous contract formalization.
- What is being done to address the delays? Clark is holding meetings with relevant institutions, aiming to sign contracts within two weeks, and initiating a medicine auction to replace the annulled bidding process.
- What progress has been made? Over 200 remittance orders have been registered for single-source and patented medicines, with generic products allocation and supply order initiation underway.
