Peru Congress Debates Law to Cap Private Clinic Medicine Prices

On Oct. 7, 2026, the Health Commission of the Congress’s Chamber of Deputies initiated debate on a new legislative bill designed to guarantee fair pricing for medications sold in private healthcare establishment pharmacies, including clinics and medical centers, to protect consumers from inflated costs, elperuano.pe reported.

Authored by Congressman Diethell Columbus of Fuerza Popular, the bill addresses a stark price discrepancy between medications sold in private clinic pharmacies and those purchased in standard street pharmacies or apothecaries. According to the proposal’s exposure of motives, private clinics inflate drug prices up to 14 times higher than street pharmacy rates.

I’m not the one saying this; Indecopi and Susalud acknowledge it in public and official documents dating back to 2021, and little progress has been made on this issue. What do Indecopi and Susalud say? That clinics and their pharmacies set the prices they pass on to the consumer.

Diethell Columbus

The legislative text highlights that patients at private clinics experience reduced purchasing power compared to traditional retail consumers. Factors such as ongoing treatment needs, integrated medical consultations, prescriptions, health insurance usage, and emergency hospitalizations create a demand of low elastic utility. This environment limits a patient’s time and ability to search for alternative medicine providers.

Proposed Market Reference Pricing Mechanisms

To correct these market conditions, the proposed bill mandates that private healthcare facility pharmacies use specific market reference benchmarks. The base price utilized to calculate discounts, insurance coverage, copayments, or coinsurance must reference the market reference price published by the General Directorate of Medicines, Inputs and Drugs (Digemid) for the exact medication, laboratory, concentration, pharmaceutical form, and presentation.

The legislation prohibits the use of suggested public prices, private catalogs, or publications that lack support from effectively reported transactions as primary references for baseline pricing. The National Authority of Pharmaceutical Products, Medical Devices, and Sanitary Products will oversee compliance regarding pharmaceutical establishments and price reporting.

Susalud Supervises Enforcement of Outpatient Medication Rights

The National Health Superintendent (Susalud) will supervise enforcement of the new obligations outlined in the law. Administrative infractions resulting from non-compliance will face sanctions under existing regulatory frameworks established by Law 29459, Legislative Decree 1158, and Law 29571, based on the respective competencies of each supervisory authority.

The text establishes that outpatient care patients retain the legal right to purchase prescribed medications at an external pharmaceutical establishment separate from the treating clinic. Private healthcare facilities must inform patients of this right, subject only to clinical, sanitary, or safety restrictions applicable to hospitalizations, medical emergencies, and specific medical procedures.