Assembly passes bill on medicines, vaccines, pharmaceutical production – Mozambique

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Assembly passes bill on medicines, vaccines, pharmaceutical production – Mozambique

8:14 CAT | 08 Mar 2017

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The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Wednesday passed unanimously the first reading of a government bill amending a 1998 law on medicines and vaccines.

The bill, the government says, is intended to guarantee access to medicines, vaccines and other biological products “under conditions of equity, so as to ensure that essential medicines and vaccines are available regularly and on time, in the necessary amounts, in adequate pharmaceutical form and dosages, and at prices that citizens can pay.

The bill also seeks to guarantee the quality of medicines and vaccines so that “only legally recognized, safe and effective products circulate in the country”. Medicines that are not registered may not be sold or distributed

It is also aimed at “the rational use of medicines”, ensuring that patients “receive the product appropriate to their condition, in doses that correspond to their individual case, for an adequate period of time and at the lowest cost for the patient and his community”.

It regulates the industrial production of pharmaceuticals (something that was completely missing from the 1998 law), and will protect brands and patents.

The bill guarantees the right of patients to receive medical and scientific information from authorized health professionals, but outlaws advertising of pharmaceutical products. Company sales agents are banned from offering samples, or any kind of gifts, to persuade doctors to purchase their goods.

The bill was uncontroversial and was approved by consensus.

Source: AIM