The National Health Superintendency has issued External Circular No. 002-5 of 2026, outlining new instructions for pharmaceutical managers to ensure timely and effective healthcare during the current state of emergency. The measures are a response to severe flooding that has affected several departments in the country.
According to the circular, pharmaceutical managers must immediately implement steps to maintain continuity and availability in the dispensing and distribution of medicines, medical devices, and other health technologies. These actions are intended to guarantee uninterrupted access for patients during the emergency period.
The instructions also require pharmaceutical managers to prioritize care for children, adolescents, pregnant women, people with disabilities, older adults, patients with rare diseases, victims of the emergency, and other groups needing special protection.
Pharmaceutical managers are directed to activate internal plans that ensure inventory levels above normal supply curves at each location. This includes increasing stocks of medicines and health technologies throughout the emergency period, maintaining logistical coverage, ensuring cold chain continuity where necessary, and establishing alternative distribution mechanisms. They must also have documented processes or contingency actions addressing medicine and technology availability at pharmacy locations.
Additional requirements include setting up alternate supply routes, redistributing inventories among pharmacies as needed, using specialized transport under adverse conditions, and activating operational continuity plans.
Finally, pharmaceutical managers must provide free channels for public inquiries that are efficient and easy to use. These channels should offer updated information about delivery points, operating hours, changes due to the emergency situation, and options for rescheduling deliveries.
For more details on these instructions or access to the full document from the National Health Superintendency’s recent circular is available through official channels.
