Supplying Medicines and Supplements to Peru

Peru is a mid-sized Latin American market with clear legal registration speeds, especially for products already registered in 'high surveillance' countries, though real-world timelines have been much longer.

Imports go through licensed distributors (droguerías) or laboratories authorised by DIGEMID, so choosing the right local partner is the first step.

Peru at a glance

How to supply medicines to Peru

1. Choose your droguería. A DIGEMID-authorised distributor or laboratory imports and usually holds the registration.
2. Prepare the dossier. A CTD dossier, a CoPP and GMP evidence. Registration in a high-surveillance country shortens the legal timeline.
3. Register the product. Plan for longer than the legal timeline, especially for products not registered in high-surveillance countries.
4. Supply. Private droguerías and pharmacy chains, or state purchases through a registered supplier with a legal representative in Peru.

The law allows exceptional authorisation for emergencies, individual treatment with medical justification, and public-health needs where no registered product is available. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.

Supplements

Supplements can be handled by DIGEMID or by the food authority depending on how the product is classified. Confirm the classification before you design the label. We help brands get supplements made under their own label by GMP-certified contract manufacturers: see nutraceutical private label.

What people in Peru search for

Semrush data from October 2026 shows that Peruvians search most for ashwagandha (about 49,500 searches a month), vitamins B12 and C, creatine, omega-3, vitamin D and collagen. Among medicines, ibuprofen, dexamethasone, prednisone and naproxen lead.

Peruvians search in Spanish: “ashwagandha” gets about 49,500 searches a month, “vitamina B12”, “vitamina C”, “creatina” and “omega 3” 40,500 each, “vitamina D” 33,100, “proteínas” 27,100 and “colágeno hidrolizado” 22,200 (Semrush, October 2026). Medicines are typed by their Spanish generic name, led by “ibuprofeno” (about 157,600 a month), “dexametasona” (72,180), “prednisona” (62,220), “naproxeno” (60,980) and “amoxicilina” (50,920).

How importers and distributors in Peru search

Across ten Spanish-speaking markets combined, Peru among them, Google Keyword Planner shows “droguería” between 100,000 and 1 million monthly searches and “distribuidora de medicamentos” and “laboratorio farmacéutico” between 1,000 and 10,000, with “laboratorios farmacéuticos en Perú” between 100 and 1,000. Contract manufacturing is searched locally as “maquila de cápsulas” (about 30 a month, Semrush).

The originator brand most searched by name is Panadol (paracetamol). Brand names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the medicine.

Supplements we can help you make

The most searched medicines include ibuprofen (ibuprofeno, about 157,600 a month), dexamethasone, prednisone, naproxen, amoxicillin and cephalexin.

Documents to ask your supplier for

• A Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) in WHO format.
• The plant's GMP evidence, such as a WHO-GMP, EU-GMP or PIC/S certificate, plus any inspection by your regulator.
• The registration dossier (CTD or ACTD), with bioequivalence data for generics where required.
• Stability data for hot climates.
• A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.

Not sure a supplier is genuine? Read how to verify a pharmaceutical supplier. For the neighbouring markets, see our Latin America and Caribbean import guide.

Frequently asked questions