What will happen to Drogas La Rebaja? SAE provides details on the future of the pharmaceutical company, which will be under the control of the Ministry of Health.

The renowned pharmaceutical company Drogas La Rebaja, which has more than 800 stores throughout Colombia, was officially handed over by the Special Assets Society (SAE) to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

This was announced by the head of this national government department, Guillermo Jaramillo , along with the president of the SAE, Amelia Pérez, on August 25, following a lengthy transfer process that they described as rigorous.

"We are making the final delivery of Drogas La Rebaja, along with commercial premises intended to strengthen the healthcare system," said the president of the SAE. "For us, as a Special Assets Society, this is a great support for a priority of the Government of Change : guaranteeing the health of Colombians," she stated.

This concludes the transfer process that began in May of last year, when the shares of this brand's business group, along with its commercial establishments, were transferred to the Ministry of Health.

Minister Jaramillo explained that the official transfer involved the brand, assets, business registries, and establishments , which number more than 880 and are spread across the country and are part of the company's assets.

" This is a key step toward enabling these pharmacies, through the EPSs, to become pharmaceutical agents serving all Colombians ," said the head of the health ministry.

The National Government is seeking to make this company a key player in the distribution of medicines.

"We hope that Drogas La Rebaja can take the step, at the right time, to become a pharmaceutical agent and, through the EPS, can also contribute to ensuring that the distribution of medications can reach different parts of the country in the territories where it operates ," the Minister of Health added.

Brothers Gilberto and Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela , heads of the Cali cartel, created several companies with illicit proceeds, including Drogas La Rebaja. A pharmacy that started in a garage grew into a chain that consolidated its exponential growth across the country.

Soon, this activity became the perfect cover for money laundering. Many years later, in 2013, the Rodríguez Orejuelas admitted to a U.S. court that they had laundered more than $2 billion in the drugstores.

In 2016, a judicial process led to the forfeiture of the assets of these companies belonging to the Cali cartel bosses, which have since been administered by the state.

With this new development in the history of Drogas La Rebaja, its name could become that of a pharmaceutical operator with a focus on delivering medicines to the most remote areas of Colombia.

María Paula Rodríguez Rozo

Journalist for the LATEST NEWS EDITORIAL