Drug prices to rise 10.5% in April

Pharmacists have warned their customers that the price of drugs is likely to rise soon. That’s because the government agency responsible for defining the maximum adjustment of medicines should announce in the coming days a high that will be 10.5%.

The calculation to update the values ​​is done once a year by Cmed (Drug Market Regulation Chamber) and is based on inflation accumulated in 12 months up to February in the IPCA (Broad Consumer Price Index), which closed on 10 .54%.

In addition to inflation, Cmed also takes into account three other factors, which analyze issues such as productivity, competitiveness and the increase in specific costs for the pharmaceutical sector.

Two of these factors have already been disclosed and will not interfere in the calculation either for more or for less. Only the last one is missing, which, according to industry sources, will not be negative this year. That is, the readjustment may even be higher than the 10.54% inflation, but it will not be lower.

The official announcement of the increase is expected until Thursday (31). Manufacturers and resellers will be able to raise prices within the new margin defined by Cmed, but only after publication of an ordinance by the federal government regulating the readjustment.

Annually, there are three levels of adjustment. The final price to the consumer, however, depends on the industry and the pharmacies themselves. The levels are defined according to the type of remedy. Those with greater competition rise more, as is the case with generics, for example. In 2021, authorized increases were 10.08%; 8.44%; and 6.79%.

In a note, Sindusfarma (Union of Pharmaceutical Products Industry) states that the adjustment will not be automatic or immediate, as there is competition between companies.

“It is important for consumers to search pharmacies and drugstores for the best offers on
medicines prescribed by health professionals”, recommends Nelson Mussolini, executive president of the union.

“Depending on the replacement of stocks and the commercial strategies of the establishments, price increases may take months or not even happen”, he says.

Pharmaceutical industries also claim that medicines usually have a readjustment below average inflation – in the IPCA accumulated in the 12 months until February, pharmaceutical products rose 6.65%.

“Medicines have one of the most predictable and stable price behaviors in the Brazilian economy”, says Mussolini.

In 2020, the government postponed the adjustment in the price ceiling of medicines because of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. In 2021, the increase was applied normally, as it happens every year.

pricing policy

In February, the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) considered changing the form of adjustment, allowing drug prices to be modified at any time, but there was resistance from the economic team, against interventions in the market.

There were two proposals: one from Cmed, which indicated the possibility of an exceptional increase, whenever there was a rise in inputs, and another from the Ministry of Health, which suggested a provisional measure to allow these price revisions out of time.