AMLO Inaugurates Grand Pharmacy

In an effort to fight medicine shortages in Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated the first "Grand Pharmacy for Well-Being," accompanied by  the governor of the State of Mexico and other public officials. This initiative aims to address the challenges of accessing medicines and ensure a steady supply across the country.

The newly inaugurated facility, located in the State of Mexico, will operate as a crucial complement to existing health centers. The initiative is expected to supply approximately 20,000 units across the country from its distribution center in Huehuetoca. President López Obrador emphasized that the pharmacy would play a vital role in supplementing health centers, ensuring medicines are distributed promptly, either by land or air, to various states within 48 hours.

To address concerns about the effectiveness of the Grand Pharmacy, López Obrador assured the public that medicines for the upcoming year are already in stock. Biological and Reactive Laboratories of Mexico (BIRMEX), which manages the distribution center, reported that the pharmacy received numerous calls on its opening day, primarily inquiring about the operational status of the call center.

López Obrador explained that while health centers would be regularly supplied, users encountering any missing medicines could directly contact the distribution center. Operators at the command, communication, control, and intelligence center are ready to receive calls from beneficiaries who may require medicines not readily available in their prescriptions, he added. These prescriptions could originate from doctors associated with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in its ordinary regime, IMSS Bienestar, and the Institute of Security and Social Services of State Workers (ISSSTE). The president pledged to personally revisit the distribution center in Huehuetoca in March to oversee the pharmacy's operations.