Governor Maximiliano Pullaro toured the facilities of the Industrial Pharmaceutical Laboratory (LIF) in the city of Santa Fe, which managed to regularize the production of Insect Repellent through the management of inputs, and the factory could double its output last year. In addition, LIF obtained the certification for its third plant to produce tablets (Comprimidos III) from the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT).
In view of the high demand for repellents due to the circulation of dengue, LIF is currently producing four batches per day, exceeding 2,700 units per day, so that it is estimated that before May it will reach 70 thousand units, which represents 75% of the entire production of repellents produced last year.
"For us LIF is a source of pride," said the governor, who stressed that "at a time when the efficiency of state companies is being debated, we can show a company that is efficient, that takes the important issues of the public health agenda, but that is also involved in the current situation, at this time when we have a dengue epidemic throughout Argentina.
Pullaro affirmed that "the State can also show that it is efficient when it is administered in an honest way, and these are models that we have to replicate in the province, but that have to be examples also in the Argentine Republic".
The visit was also attended by Vice-Governor Gisela Scaglia; the Minister of Health, Silvia Ciancio; the Senator for the Department of La Capital, Julio Garibaldi; and the member of LIF's Board of Directors, Guillermo Cleti, among others.
Example
After touring the Laboratory, Scaglia said, "We wanted to be here, demonstrating all that we, from Santa Fe, can do. At this moment the LIF is producing more than 70,000 bottles of repellent in the first four-month period, which is a very important number for the province and is undoubtedly one more way of working in this fight against dengue".
Then, the Minister of Health highlighted the "strong decision of the province to defend the public production of medicines", and indicated that "in a complex epidemiological context, having a supply of quality repellents makes the prevention strategy more effective".
Meanwhile, Garibaldi said that "public companies have to set an example of managing public resources properly, and LIF is an example of that", and valued that "the production of repellent for mosquitoes helps to fight this great problem that Argentina and Santa Fe have, such as dengue".
As regards distribution, it is worth remembering that LIF Insect Repellent is delivered free of charge to Santa Fe's public health care centers, according to a protocol that establishes the distribution criteria for the prevention of diseases transmitted by mosquito bites (confirmed cases of dengue, suspected cases, pregnant women, and health care personnel).
ANMAT authorization
On the other hand, LIF obtained a new authorization from the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) to produce tablets -Comprimidos III plant-, the last one built in the premises located in Santa Fe, which, like all the LIF productive sectors is authorized to manufacture medicines for provincial distribution. With this ANMAT's certification it will also produce drugs for national distribution.
Cleti explained that obtaining the authorization was not a simple administrative process, but the result of a long process, in which all the areas which integrate the Laboratory took part. The great challenge will always be, once the certifications have been achieved, to maintain them over time", he concluded.
The quality of medicines is of great importance for public health, therefore there are local and international standards and recommendations on the requirements that must be demanded for the qualification of the establishments.
LIF's production is distributed free of charge in the Province's public health system. At present, 46 medicinal specialties are produced, mostly in tablet form. At the same time, in order to participate in national bids and in free and federal drug distribution programs, the Laboratory has the necessary certificates issued by ANMAT for 19 of its 46 medicines.
