Brasília, 6/30/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - As part of a new policy on prices for medicine, a Regulatory Chamber for Medicines (Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos) (CMED) has been established, along with new critieria for adjusting prices.

The chamber will monitor and regulate the pharmaceutical sector, identifying price abuses, defining prices and ruling on whether or not medicines can be sold. It will include an ombudsman for the pharmaceutical sector. The government will also seek to stimulate the use of generic drugs.

According to technicians at the ministries of Health, Finance and Justice, which will have representatives in the chamber, the idea is to boost competition, expand supply and the variety of medicines offered, as well as increase the bargaining power of public buyers.

Under the new rules, laboratories will have to inform the chamber regarding substances used in medicines, contraindications, their commercial presentation (packaging) and a technical analysis on their therapeutical advantages. The chamber will check prices with those on domestic and international price lists. If there is price abuse, the medicine can have its price controlled by the government. (AB)