Brazil, French Officials Meet to Strengthen Transparency

Officials from the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária met with health and economic representatives from France last week to discuss the economic regulation of medical products and pricing models in Brazil.

ANVISA officials learned details of the French model of regulation of the product market for health in support of the activities of the Grupo Interministerial de Órteses, Próteses e Materiais Especiais.

This group is investigating ways to stop abuse in the orthotics and prosthetics sectors, as well as to develop strategies to restructure and expand transparency in this market.

The meeting came after calls by Brazil’s House of Deputies and Senate to investigate.

A January ministerial decree created the interagency task force, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Health, Finance and Justice.

ANVISA officials intend to take lessons learned from the meeting and continued cooperation with French officials to develop similar economic policies related to pricing and regulatory measures in Brazil. — Elizabeth Hollis