The Government's Ambitious "Experiment" to Change the Purchase of Medication

Intellectual Property attorney Danilo Romero was cited in an El Espectador article about the Colombian Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) decision that the government could authorize Entidades Promotoras de Salud (EPS) to make joint and direct purchases of medications. The idea was originally presented to address the difficulties in access to care by eliminating pharmaceutical managers and allowing EPS to pay pharmacies directly. This proposal, however, raised questions about competition and patients' rights. Mr. Romero said he thinks that, to ensure the success of this system, it is necessary "to establish monitoring and oversight schemes and conditions so that the exception does not lead to anti-competitive practices."

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