Mexico has control registry for medical fentanyl: Health Ministry

Mexico's Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) maintains a registry for anesthetic substances, including medical-grade fentanyl, to govern their usage conditions. Health authorities stress the critical need to differentiate between the legitimate medical application of these substances and their illicit consumption.

David Kershenobich, head of the Ministry of Health (SSa), stated that while some anesthetics are indispensable for surgical procedures and cannot be banned, alternatives exist for pain management. "In relation to pain, what we are trying to do, and it is very important, is to have alternatives for pain management, because there are substitutes like pregabalin, etcetera, that can be used very effectively," he explained during a press conference.

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It is very relevant to be able to separate the medical use from the abuse in the consumption of these types of substances. Not all can be prohibited because some are required in anesthesia situations. In relation to pain, what we are trying to do, and it is very important to have alternatives for pain management, because there are substitutes like pregabalin, etcetera, that can be used with very effective use.

Alejandro Svarch Pérez, general director of IMSS Bienestar, highlighted that fentanyl in Mexico is subject to stringent regulation. "Mexico is characterized by having the most profound regulatory framework in North America in the context of chemical precursors for making medical-grade fentanyl. And then we have other types of fentanyl, in fact, there are several fentalynls, one could say, that are not medical-grade and are synthetic drugs produced by design," he detailed.

The regulation includes a strict methodology for controlling the precursors used in the production of medical fentanyl, which is employed in surgical procedures and for managing chronic conditions like cancer. This framework aims to ensure that essential medical substances are available while preventing their diversion for illicit purposes.

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Mexico is characterized by having the most profound regulatory framework in North America in the context of chemical precursors for making medical-grade fentanyl. And then we have other types of fentanyl, in fact, there are several fentalynls, one could say, that are not medical-grade and are synthetic drugs produced by design.