Nuria Homedes, MD, DrPH, University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, El Paso Regional Campus, 632 Skydale, El Paso, TX 79912, 915 747 8508, nhomedes@utep.edu, Antonio Ugalde, PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Texas-Austin, 1802 Westridge, Austin, TX 78704, and Jimena Orchuela, ISALUD, La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.

Access to pharmaceuticals has dwindled in Latin America due to its increased unitary cost and the economic crisis affecting the region. Most countries in the region have adopted policies to increase access while containing costs by promoting generics or copies of original drugs. However, since most countries have signed agreements and passed laws in compliance with TRIPS, it is anticipated that access to innovative drugs will be curtailed.

Governments and advocacy groups are trying to find ways to respond to people’s need for medicines, including innovative drugs. One of these options is compulsory licenses. Brazil has made extensive use of their well-developed pharmaceutical industry, including state-owned manufacturing plants, to ensure access to antirretrovirals. Argentina has a significant number of pharmaceutical plants, as in the case of Brazil many are publicly owned, but current pharmaceutical policies do not envision fostering public manufacturing.

This paper assesses Argentina’s public manufacturing capacity. Typically, public plants are owned by provincial governments and have not received the approval for Good Manufacturing Practices. By law, without the approval, these plants cannot sell medicines outside the province or export overseas to generate resources needed to improve quality. The vicious circle needs to be broken by national and provincial policy makers. The need to coordinate production among public plants to avoid duplication in a relatively small and competitive market also requires attention by policy makers.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss alternatives to the for profit pharmaceutical industry
• Learn strategies to decrease the cost of essential medicines and promote the use of generics

Keywords: Latin American, Drugs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.