Appellant Ministry of Public Health (“MSP”) refused to provide the medicine CETUXIMAB to the plaintiff, arguing that, although it was obligated to ensure public health, it had no legal power to dispense medication directly to the population and that its refusal to provide the medicine was  also consistent with the fact that the drug was …Read more

This case was an appeal brought by the National Monetary Fund (“FNR”, for its initials in Spanish) in a protection action before the Second Chamber of the Court of Civil Appeals. The action was brought against Resolution No. 67, which had found for the claimant, determining that coverage for the drug “NEXAVAR-DROGA SORAFENIB”, should be …Read more

In 1982, a child was given aspirin in the hospital to fight against a respiratory disease with fever. Afterward, he developed Reye’s syndrome,  a kind of mental retardation. Attributing the disease to the administration of the aspirin, his parents brought a claim for financial liability from the Administration for a poor sanitary conditions. Their claim …Read more

The appellant, joined by his spouse and children, filed suit against defendant Catholic Workers Circle of Uruguay, an affiliated collective medical assistance institution, to recover for loss of earning capacity and moral damages. The appellant’s doctor (co-defendant) at Catholic Workers Circle had diagnosed the appellant with a benign brain tumor and prescribed radiation therapy in …Read more

The applicant suffered from a serious bipolar disorder and wished to commit suicide and requested a lethal dose of sodium pentobarbital, which is available only on prescription, from several psychiatrists but was unsuccessful. The applicant then contacted various official bodies seeking permission to obtain the substance from a pharmacy without a prescription. The Federal Office …Read more

The applicant, G.Z. was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease at the age of three. Gaucher’s disease was a rare disease which can only be successfully treated with the drug Cerezyme. If the disease was not treated, it could result in early death. G.Z’s parents claimed 100% reimbursement of the purchase costs of Cerezyme on G.Z’s behalf. …Read more

This case was an unconstitutionality action brought by the Guatemalan Association of Pharmacists and Chemists et al. challenging the Liberalization of Importation of Medicines Act. The claimants argued that the Act’s elimination of requirements for imported medicines such as expiration dates, instructions in Spanish, and required government testing violated constitutional competition provisions, intellectual property and …Read more

The appellant operated an Allied Professional Health Unit. On July 25, 2008, the respondent, accompanied by the police, entered the appellant’s premises where they “inspected, searched and impounded some drugs found thereon.” The respondent claimed that the premises was not licensed, arrested the appellant, and confiscated the impounded drugs. The High Court dismissed the applicant’s …Read more

The claimant, Mr. Oscar Fontes, brought a protection action against the Ministry of Public Health (the “Ministry”) for its failure to provide him with the drug Cetuximab, as prescribed by his doctor for treatment of colon cancer. The drug was not included on the Therapeutic Drug Registry, and the Ministry denied his request. The claimant …Read more