LatAm's pharma industry seeks to overcome impact of crisis in health systems

Budget limitations and health crises are a constant in several countries in the Americas, impacting not only the population, but also the pharmaceutical industry which, in some cases, does not benefit from solid regulatory bases to promote research or regulate innovative medicines, given that there are many cumbersome procedures and financial instability.

Part of the problem derives from the fact that the allocation of resources to health is still seen as an expense and not as a social investment, and therefore, when it comes to cutting budgets for some sectors of the economy, health is on that list.

There are also other issues such as social fragmentation and inequality, a lack of solid policies to consolidate health systems, health reform initiatives of mixed success, the economic slowdown and wars—domestic, external or distant—that impact issues such as the import of raw materials, excipients, containers and other supplies that are required for the manufacture of medicines or for their packaging, among other problems.