Mexico's drug labeling plan could cost industry 10 billion pesos

The federal government of Mexico is proposing a new labeling requirement for medicines purchased under the 2027‑2028 consolidated procurement program. Each package would need a label bearing the legend “Gobierno de México,” the national coat of arms and other official elements, which would also require authorization from the Secretaría de Gobernación.

Rafael Gual, director general of the Cámara Nacional de la Industria Farmacéutica (Canifarma), warned that the scheme would cost the pharmaceutical sector around 10 billion pesos to label roughly 3 billion units, not including medical devices. He said, “Sí, ralentizaría totalmente el proceso de entrega de los medicamentos,” and added that the measure would “tener un costo brutal para la industria.” Gual noted that Mexico lacks the capacity to produce the required volume of labels, which could delay drug supply and discourage companies from participating in government purchases. He also highlighted existing government debts to the industry of about 14.5 billion pesos.