Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) is currently evaluating 36 projects submitted by non-state management entities to administer community pharmacies.
According to a report published in the digital edition of the Granma newspaper, Cristina Lara, National Director of Medicines and Medical Technologies at MINSAP, clarified that to date, no pharmacy under this business model has begun operating or serving the public.
Following the approval of Decree-Law 133, the authorized activities for non-state management entities now include the administration of community pharmacies, the provision of pharmaceutical services, and the commercialization of medicines and other health products.
In a press conference yesterday, the MINSAP representative stressed that these establishments must meet strict requirements for storing and dispensing medicines, and they must have professional personnel in charge of technical operations. Furthermore, any commercialized medicines must be registered with the Cuban regulatory authority. This does not include hospital-use drugs, narcotics or restricted substances, or other products subject to national regulatory lists.
The import of medicines must be channeled through state-run importing agencies: Medicuba (under MINSAP), Farmacuba (representing the Cuban pharmaceutical industry), or the commercializing firm Emcomed, which holds the required sanitary licenses, warehouses, transportation, and specialized personnel.
The Granma report specified that existing community pharmacy facilities will not be leased out; they will remain under state management, continuing to provide their corresponding services to the public.
(Taken from Prensa Latina)
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