Health care financial crisis threatens to worsen drug delivery problems

The situation of the health system continues to be delicate, now more strongly due to the shortage of medicines, since according to experts, the increase in the deficit in the supply of pharmacological products and medical care This would be due to the lack of funding in health.

(Read: Sanitas will not be the only EPS to which Cruz Verde will stop dispensing medications)

According to the Center for Economic Studies (Anif), The lack of resources for the system is becoming more evident every day, and with the The shortage is the patients who are beginning to feel the current imbalance within the health system.

According to Anif, the lack of funding in the sector is one of the causes of the increase in out-of-pocket spending that directly impacts citizens, and proof of this is that Health spending in the country in the second quarter of this year increased by 5.1%.

(See also: It won’t be just Sanitas: Cruz Verde will stop dispensing medicines to EPS SOS Cali)

In addition, in recent days alarms have been raised due to the growing lack of delivery of medicines. According to a report published by Invima, as of July 2024, 2.5% of the country’s drugs are out of stock and 2.3% are at risk of shortage“which suggests that in the short or medium term there may not be any stock in the event of a contingency,” the Center said.

According to more detailed data in the report, It was highlighted that about 180 of 396 medicines are being monitored, that is, 45.2% of these.

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In contrast, according to Invima, more than half of these products are immediately available, although they state that “It is the responsibility of the holders to maintain the availability of the medicines and to immediately report their non-commercialization.”.

(See: Household health spending picks up as system deteriorates)

However, according to Anif, the health authority maintains that the reasons for this shortage are “largely” due to market behavior, for example, increasing demand.

They also highlight the following reasons: Increased prescription of certain medicines, problems in the acquisition of raw materials, few suppliers, low profitabilitylimitations on international and national production, delays in the import, nationalization and health registration process, and increases in the price of inputs, among others.

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For Camilo Herrera, founder of the firm Raddar, although health is not the sector that is growing the most in terms of spending, Yes, it is important to understand the reasons why this indicator begins to behave in this way.

One of them is the increase in spending It is the increase in consumption of medicines, both in Over the Counter (OTC) or more commonly known as over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription forms.

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Although these seconds have a different dynamic because they are prescribed by doctors attached to the EPS, who deliver them, But due to shortages they have not been able to do so or the delivery time is delayed.leading people to solve the problem because “they can’t afford to wait.”

“This is part of the problem of drug shortages over the last two years. This is not a current situation, but rather households are systematically having to buy more drugs than their health plan normally gives them.“Herrera said recently.

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For his part, Anif added that although the latest Invima report shows that less than 3% of medicines are in short supply, There are concerns about future supply due to various associated factors, particularly the increase in demand. and the lack of resources of the EPS to deal with it.

Increase in complaints and claims

It is worth remembering that according to the latest Así Vamos en Salud report on protections, complaints and claims, The number of guardianships increased from 59,371 in 2023 to a total of 84,445 in the first four months of this year.

(See more: How and where to claim your medications if you are affiliated with Compensar EPS)

One of the factors that has contributed to the increase in these legal resources is the shortage and lack of delivery of drugs. Even, This factor was the second with the most protection actions with a total of 22,676.

In contrast, within the Anif report, when analyzing the number of health claims made to the Health Superintendencyit is observed that the reports for the first half of 2024, associated with the delivery of medicines, decreased compared to last year.

(Read: Purchase of expired medicines and medical-surgical supplies under investigation)

However, after the visit of the Superintendent of Health, Luis Carlos Leal, to a pharmaceutical manager, It was identified that more than 5,000 medicines had not been delivered in the first five months of the year, with delays of more than 100 days.

“In particular, the High Cost Patients Organization reported in August that about 45 vital medications to treat patients with these types of diseases were experiencing delays in delivery.“, they highlighted.

(Read: Asinfar says Colombia needs a pharmaceutical industrialization policy)

For this economic research center, the shortage of medicines and medical equipment is only “the tip of the iceberg” of the underfunding of the health sector, in which the actors are feeling the problem of resource flow more strongly.

“Pharmaceutical and insurance industry associations have warned of the consequences of the lack of financing in healthcare services and in the supply of medicines“, they say.

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They add that uncertainty still persists regarding the health reform proposal that the Government is expected to present to Congress in the new legislature, as well as the allocation of the budget for the sector, taking into account the shortfall in insurance needs such as the Capitation Payment Unit (UPC) and maximum budget resources.