Cloudy Skies Ahead for Mexico's Health System

On June 2 of this year, Mexico voted for the continuity of health policies. However, the financial and securities sectors responded with market declines and a depreciation of the Mexican currency. 

In the health sector, the lack of medications and medical care has not resulted in mass demonstrations as seen in the economic sector. Are the people of Mexico accepting of these shortcomings? Is the resignation of millions of suffering patients due to depression and lack of energy resulting from poor health?

Cancer patients at IMSS endure waiting times of more than six months for treatment. Children are unable to begin chemotherapy due to a shortage of specialized medications. Citizens with depression or anxiety experience accompanying symptoms such as tension, excitability and insomnia, and their situation is further aggravated by shortages of essential medications such as amitriptyline, diazepam and perphenazine, caused by the closure of a key manufacturing plant in Mexico.

Other medications facing shortages in official institutions include clonazepam, sitagliptin, metformin, and human insulin. When it comes to drug manufacturing, I emphasize the need for nearshoring in the production of essential raw materials required for pharmaceuticals. Recently, Bloomberg reported growing market optimism about Mexico's vast potential but cautioned against the country's historical tendency to squander economic opportunities. Could we miss this significant opportunity and succumb to proposals heard during the electoral campaign, such as the Green Party's suggestion to establish new drug manufacturing laboratories to prevent shortages in IMSS, ISSSTE, SEDENA, and other agencies? This could potentially dismantle the national manufacturing industry of medications. Is this the goal of the new Mexican regime? Let's hope this strategy does not begin in September.

Moving to regulatory issues, the Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risks (COFEPRIS) recently reported authorizing clinical trials to verify the quality, efficacy, and safety of 35 innovative medications. One medication aims to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is associated with diabetes and obesity, and is highly prevalent in the country. Additionally, COFEPRIS has approved the registration of 32 drugs and 220 medical devices in the past few weeks. Among these, 72 are intended for medical care and include items such as coronary guide wires, intraocular lenses, and knee prostheses. These bureaucratic tasks must be acknowledged, despite the significant backlog of registrations, permits, and authorizations that impact health services and products.

The National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (CANIFARMA) estimates that approximately 8 million people consume expired drugs, posing significant health risks. During the pandemic, medicine theft surged by 82.5% in 2020 alone. According to official and private organizations, the total value of the black market for drugs may range from US$650 million to US$1.5 billion, underscoring the alarming increase in theft and falsification of medicines. COFEPRIS will take on great challenges and problems in the coming months.

Let's now delve into healthtech and underscore the criticality of secure access to electronic patient clinical records. This allows patients to select healthcare providers for effective ongoing care. Digital health, tested in France, employs a unified electronic file ensuring traceability across public and private health systems, empowering patients with mobility and medication access. While Mexico significantly trails these European standards, initial steps are imperative to safeguard patient health data via mechanisms like ARCO (Access, Rectification, Cancellation, and Opposition) and institutions like the National Institute of Access to Information (INAI), which is at risk of disappearing. Patients require agile, secure, and intuitive technological solutions for optimal health outcomes. This marks our starting point.