The General Directorate of Health (DGS) in the province of Holguín has received around 15 inquiries from individuals interested in opening pharmacies under the new private management model, but no such establishment has begun operations.
The doctor Maritza Almaguer Cruz, head of the Department of Medicines and Medical Technologies of the DGS in Holguin, explained that those interested are still in preliminary stages.
"Several are in the process of identifying locations and in other necessary arrangements to keep in mind for their project," Almaguer noted, as quoted on Wednesday by the official newspaper ¡Ahora!
The opening of private pharmacies in Cuba was authorized by Decree 160/2026, which came into effect on August 4, following its publication in the Official Gazette.
The regulation authorizes private small and medium-sized enterprises, non-agricultural cooperatives, and mixed entities with foreign capital to provide pharmaceutical services in Cuba, an activity that until then was exclusive to the State.
The situation in the eastern territory reflects the slow progress of the national process. The latest data from the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) indicated that out of 36 projects evaluated across the country, only 14 had received approval to continue with the formalities, and three were in the process of establishment, but no private pharmacies had opened their doors to the public.
The Holguin DGS also clarified that the existing state community pharmacies will not be transferred to private actors. "So far, there are no plans to lease establishments that currently operate as state community pharmacies; they will continue to be managed by the state," Almaguer specified.
The new premises must include reception, storage, office, restroom, ventilation, lighting, refrigeration, and backup energy areas. In addition, those dispensing medications must demonstrate knowledge and endorsement in pharmaceutical activities.
Regarding supply, the importation of pharmaceuticals for these pharmacies must be channeled exclusively through Medicub or Farmacuba, the two state importers in the sector.
All medications must have an approved Cuban health registration by the Regulatory Authority for Medicines, Equipment, and Medical Devices of the Republic of Cuba (Cepmed). Narcotics, psychotropic substances, and drugs exclusively for hospital use are excluded from private sale.
The DGS specified that there will be three types of establishments: those selling over-the-counter products, those requiring a medical prescription, and those that will offer medications without a prescription but will also make pharmaceutical formulations. The valid prescriptions will be the same as those issued by doctors from state health institutions.
“Never forget that the marketing of medications requires, for everyone’s peace of mind, very special treatment due to its impact on patients’ health,” Almaguer warned, in what also seems to be an implicit acknowledgment of the risks involved in opening this market amid a chronic shortage of drugs and medical supplies.
In August, the government acknowledged that only 30% of the basic medicine supply was available in the state network.
In Holguín, the shortage has led to extreme situations. In May, a citizen reported that an elderly person was on the verge of losing their life because the Lucía Íñiguez Landín clinical surgical hospital in Holguín did not have paper to perform an electrocardiogram, a supply that, according to the account, is systematically stolen from the hospitals in the city and resold on the black market for 3,500 Cuban pesos per meter.
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