Provision of the Undersecretariat for Consumer Protection and Loyalty Commercial – No 481/2025
Health Department – Life Sciences Department Report | Provision of the Undersecretariat for Consumer Protection and Loyalty Commercial – No 481/2025
On May 8, 2025, Provision No. 481/2025 (the “Provision”), issued by the Undersecretariat for Consumer Defense and Commercial Loyalty of the Ministry of Economy, was published in the Official Gazette, which introduces new obligations for pharmacies and mutual pharmacies regarding the display of and access to information on drug prices with the aim of strengthening transparency and competition in the pharmaceutical sector.
In this regard, as a relevant regulatory precedent, it should be noted that Joint Resolution No. 2/2025 of the Secretariat of Health Management of the Ministry of Health establishes the obligation of pharmacies and mutual pharmacies to display to the consumer, in a clear and precise manner, the amount corresponding to the updated final price of each drug that is marketed under medical prescription. To this end, it requires that these establishments have a QR code, visible and easily accessible physically or virtually, which leads to an updated price list.
In line with this, the Provision seeks to complement what is regulated by Joint Resolution No. 2/2025 by establishing specific requirements for those price lists accessible via QR. Consequently, the technical specification requires that the QR code contains a link (hyperlink) to a list of drugs offered and available on the premises, including: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API); Name of the medication; Presentation; Laboratory; Price; and PAMI Affiliate Price (if applicable).
Furthermore, in order to comply with the operation of the Drug Price Search Engine[1] of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, the price list must show the Drugs with GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) or Global Commercial Code of Article, have accessible and understandable presentations for the citizen customer, that is, non-hospital, and with updated prices, allowing drugs to be dispensed at the pharmacy. Additionally, the list must be ordered by API, presentation and price (from lowest to highest), to allow a better comparison between products with similar characteristics.
[1] https://www.argentina.gob.ar/precios-de-medicamentos
Finally, the Provision also provides that non-compliance with these obligations will be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of Joint Resolution No. 2/2025, i.e., it refers to the provisions of Decree No. 274/2019 and/or Law No. 24,240 and its amendments.
Sincerely,