High-cost drugs consume 80% of IPS budget, causing critical shortages

Patients with cancer at Paraguay's Social Security Institute (IPS) face critical desperation due to medication shortages. Authorities acknowledge that a small group of high-cost drugs, representing only 20% of the pharmaceutical catalog, consumes 80% of the health budget.

Evelyn Alviso, director of Logistics of Health Supplies, explained that this significant financial strain, combined with monthly budget constraints, hinders the consistent issuance of purchase orders. This directly results in the stockouts that patients are reporting.

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Of the total vademecum, 104 high-cost medications, which include oncological, hematological, rheumatological, and endocrinological ones, represent only 20% of the variety of drugs, but they impact 80% of the institution's budget.

While the IPS has a catalog of 489 items, 104 critical high-cost medications, including those for oncology, hematology, rheumatology, and endocrinology, are absorbing the majority of resources. This leaves insufficient funds for other essential drugs.

Regarding specific complaints about a lack of pediatric oncology drugs, the IPS stated it is an "absolute priority." The institution claims to cover 60% of these medications, but actual delivery hinges on budget allocation and supplier capacity. The remaining 38% are currently undergoing tender processes. Despite these explanations, patients continue to report shortages of both complex and basic medications.

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absolute priority