Law in step with urgency: public healthcare procurement in Honduras

Abstract

This article examines the suitability of Honduras’s public procurement framework for supplying medicines and medical supplies. A legal and documentary review examines the State Procurement Law, social security regulations, Executive Decree PCM-007-2026, and international experiences. The analysis identifies limitations in general procedures when addressing specialized products, markets with few suppliers, and lengthy delivery times. It also highlights that the emergency declared in 2026 established mechanisms to expedite procedures while maintaining public oversight. Its temporary nature supports incorporating a special healthcare procurement framework into existing legislation, integrating planning, clinical risk classification, prequalified suppliers, agreements with multiple suppliers, scheduled deliveries, and expedited procedures subject to disclosure and oversight. This reform would help strengthen the continuity of healthcare services and the protection of insured people.