Drug prices on the rise

Prices for drugs are rising faster than inflation year after year, and this year is no exception. In January , drugs presented an average price increase going from 3% to 5% in drug stores, derived from inflation and the rising energy prices.

" Generic drugs will present a 3% price increase while marketed brand-name drugs will present a 5% price increase , by the end of January," announced President of the National Union of Pharmacy Entrepreneurs ( Unefarm ) Juvenal Becerra , adding that "at least in this quarter there will be a rise, but it is relatively contained, not that strong."

In an interview for EL UNIVERSAL , Juvenal Becerra disclosed that this year's increases have been moderate because last year the drug industry made strategic purchases to prevent price increases, a move that has slowed down further price escalation.

Antonio Pascual

, President of the National Association of Pharmacies in Mexico ( Anafarmex ), emphasized that "there will be a price increase, but it will be moderate."

Antonio Pascual disclosed that there will not be an immediate impact since the drug industry has scheduled gradual price increases for the first quarter of 2018.

Drug prices are determined by a series of factors such as the cost of research and development, plus imported drug inputs, transportation, and even distribution explained the President of the Mexican College of Pharmacoeconomics Antonio Caso .

"When the lab develops a drug and it finally reaches commercially availability, the lab has to consider all the investments made in the research phase , which is often very expensive, thus it will affect the price," he explained.

"Many drugs are exported , so they are quoted in foreign currencies , thus if the Mexican peso experiences depreciation they tend to go up," he concluded.

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