Dr. Maylin Beltrán Delgado, head of the Pharmacy Department of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), appeared this Wednesday on the Round Table to clarify the conditions under which private pharmacies will operate in Cuba, a recently authorized entity by the regime that has caused confusion among the population.
In her remarks, the official clarified that narcotics, psychotropic substances, and similar effect substances are currently excluded from private sale, along with medications designated exclusively for hospital use.
"There is a group of products whose sale is currently restricted, and they are related to those intended exclusively for institutional use, specifically for hospitals. Additionally, there are narcotic drugs, psychotropics, and substances with similar effects that are subject to different controls," Beltrán specified, although he did not rule out that, in the future, pharmacies with a high level of technical expertise and proven track record might be able to access that possibility.
He also added that, although some steps have been taken, these new forms of non-state management have not yet been approved.
“Still today, we do not have any pharmacy of this type approved in the country to operate as such. We will have it in the coming days because we are shortening time by minimizing aspects that we have realized we need to eliminate in construction,” he said.
Among the fundamental requirements to operate, the official highlighted three: that all products have a health registration issued by the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment, and Medical Devices (CECMED) or by the Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology; that the establishments obtain an operating license after meeting specific infrastructure standards; and that each pharmacy has at least one pharmacist as director or technical manager. "There must be at least one pharmacist," Beltrán emphasized.
In addition, a training course was designed for holders and their teams on the National Medicines Program and the Pharmacy Regulation.
Regarding supply, the importation of medicines for these private establishments will remain exclusive to authorized state entities.
«Today we have Medicuba and Pharmacuba because they have been importing these types of products for years and are familiar with the requirements,» Beltrán noted, although he clarified that in the future other importers with the appropriate licenses could join.
Private pharmacies will not replace the state network, but rather, they will integrate with it, he argued.
"These pharmacies run by economic actors will be part of the unique system of community pharmacies that we will have in all our communities," explained the official. The premises currently operated by state pharmacies will not be leased for this new model either.
Regarding the progress of the process, Beltrán reported that within the framework of the pilot test, 76 applications have been received, of which 41 economic actors submitted formal projects and seven have already obtained activity authorization, although they are still resolving non-conformities to secure the final operating license.
This opening is framed within the , which transformed pharmaceutical services —previously completely prohibited for the private sector— into an allowable activity for small and medium-sized enterprises and non-agricultural cooperatives, as part of a package of 176 economic measures presented to the National Assembly in June of this year.
The backdrop to these reforms is an unprecedented supply crisis: the government itself acknowledged in August that only 30% of the essential medication list was available in the state network, meaning that about seven out of ten essential drugs for the population were missing.
In that context, many Cubans have had to seek alternative ways to obtain medications that are not regularly available in state pharmacies.
A venue presented as a private pharmacy in Regla, Havana, displayed medications, vitamins, and natural products priced in the thousands of pesos.
One of the employees then explained that an expansion of the establishment was being prepared and that the project was being "reviewed and authorized" by the authorities.
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