He president Luis Abinadertogether with the director of Promese/Cal, Adolfo Pérez, and the minister of Health Public Administration, Víctor Atallah, presented this Monday the progress in the supply and access to medications in the country.
Expansion of the network of farmacies of ptown
During LA Weekly with the Press, the president highlighted the extension of the network Pharmacies of the Town. According to the data provided, 103 have been inaugurated pharmaciesreaching a total of 647 nationwide.
Are pharmacies benefit more than 5 million people monthly, allowing them to save up to 96% compared to pharmacies private.
Adolfo Pérez, director of Promese/Cal, highlighted that the new pharmacies have expanded access to medications to 1 million dominicans. “Until the year 2020, four million dominicans They attended monthly to the network of Pharmacies of the Townand currently, 5 million dominicans They do it,” he said.
This effort is part of a comprehensive plan to improve the health public and the well-being of citizens, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, he assured Abinader during LA Weekly.
Catalog of medications
The director of Promese/Cal, Adolfo Pérez, explained that the catalog of medications It has been updated with the inclusion of 41 new active ingredients.
These cover a wide range of treatments, from psychotropic drugs and treatments for tuberculosis and HIV to medications for diseases cardiovascular, analgesics and contraceptives. In addition, 74 new ones have been added medications for the management of diabetes and obesity, as well as a renewed focus on health mental.
“The biggest advantage of updating the catalog lies in the fact that now, through the Pharmacies of the Towncan be purchased medications combined“said Pérez.
This means that, unlike previously, where people needed three pills for three different diseases, They will now be able to get a combo pill that Promese/Cal can bid on.
With the update of catalogsome were also removed medications that were no longer in use and others with better technology were included, Pérez assured.
Increase of budget for hospitals
He budget intended for hospitals for the purchase of medications and medical supplies has increased by 100%, going from 1,568 million to 3,176 million pesos. This investment benefits 211 hospitalsincluding military and regional ones, ensuring better distribution and availability of medical resources.
In the presentation, the director of Promese/Cal clarified that from 2010 to 2023 the institution supplied the same amount (1,568 million pesos), and it was in 2023 when the amount was increased. budgetoffering to the hospitals and primary care centers double the resources.
However, he said that there is still a lag in relation to the total demand of the system health.
Investment in medications
Between August 2020 and September 2024, more than RD$20,702 million have been invested in medications for the public system health and the network of Pharmacies of the Townthe president stated on his side.
Meanwhile, Pérez clarified that this figure (RD$20,702 million) is exclusive of the services offered, not including the medications “high cost”.
“That is the value of medications that Promese/Cal has delivered to the hospitals public, to hospitals military, primary care units and the population through the Pharmacies of the Town“, said.
“Further Health and Hope life”
This investment has allowed the implementation of the “More Health and Hope of Life”, via 382 Pharmacies of the Town that provide medications essential free of charge to treat cardiovascular problems and diabetes.
“This is a platform that is underway throughout the Dominican Republic, dispensing free essential medications from the standardized treatment protocol of the WHO “Hearts” strategy”Promese/Cal Director
The greatest advantage of the program, according to the director of Promese/Cal, is that it drives primary care within the neighborhoods and in rural areas, because the commitment for the patient to receive the free medication is that they also receive their care plan, which allows them to maintain their health controlled.
The patients who benefit with this program are:
- Hypertensive or diabetic people
- Over 45 years
- Beneficiaries of the subsidized regime
- Insulin-dependent pediatric population
Nine social programs
In the presentation announced nine programs that the government is implementing: neonatal intensive care; hemophilia and inhibitors; pediatric diabetes; glaucoma; salt wasting syndrome; Parkinson’s; acute myocardial infarction; enteral and parental nutrition; bipolarity and schizophrenia.
Program from tolto cost
Since February 2021, Promese/Cal has assumed the purchase of medications high cost, with an increase in budget 142% annual increase compared to 2021. By 2024, the budget allocated to these specific needs has increased to RD$7,401 million.
The coverage includes oncological diseases, whose budget increase from 6 to 10 million pesos per patient per year; also autoimmune and degenerative diseases, transplants and rare diseases, with arthritis, hepatitis C and breast cancer being the pathologies with the greatest coverage.
Improvement in the distribution
The distribution of pharmacies high cost has been optimized, with 9 pharmacies located in hospitals main ones in various regions of the country. Additionally, the “Connecting with Damac” program provides educational support and follow-up to patients, ensuring more effective access to complex treatments.
He president Abinader highlighted the commitment to transparency in all purchasing processes medications since 2020. Procurements are made through Promese and are available on a public portal, ensuring that resource management is clear and responsible.
