MEXICAN OTC SECTOR RESISTS MARKET REFORMS

Mexico's over-the-counter pharmaceuticals trade association, AFAMELA, has criticised possible new restrictions on kiosk drug sales. Mexico's new General Health Law is set to ban street sales of traditional OTCs such as flu remedies and analgesics, claiming that such outlets are often the only source of drugs in many lower-income areas.

AFAMELA's members, which include a number of major US manufacturers, will now lobby to preserve street kiosks as a legitimate outlet for OTCs. The association estimates that the sector accounts for a third of drug market volume in Mexico, while the market is worth some US$1.2bn per year.