The federal government resumed this Wednesday (7) the Popular Pharmacy of Brazil program, with the proposal to expand the supply of free medicines and accredit new units in more vulnerable municipalities. Until now, free medications for asthma, hypertension and diabetes were available, while other treatments were offered at lower prices, in the co-payment model. Check out the main changes announced below: Bolsa Família From now on, the 55 million Brazilian beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família program will be able to withdraw all 40 medications available on the list of Farmácia Popular free of charge. To make the withdrawal, the user needs to look for an accredited pharmacy and present a prescription, identity document and CPF. Recognition of the bond with Bolsa Família, according to the Ministry of Health, will be done automatically by the system, with no need for prior registration. Women’s health Another novelty announced by the federal government is that, in the new format of the Popular Pharmacy, all women can obtain free medication indicated for the treatment of osteoporosis, in addition to contraceptives. Calculations by the Ministry of Health indicate that around 5 million women across the country, who previously paid half the amount for this type of medicine, should benefit from the withdrawal of free products. Indigenous peoples Farmácia Popular also starts serving the indigenous population. The proposal, according to the portfolio, is to expand and facilitate access, in a complementary way, to basic pharmaceutical assistance currently offered in special indigenous health districts (DSEI). With this action, all 40 drugs on the program’s list will be made available free of charge to native peoples. “To avoid displacement, a representative of the community will be chosen to pick up the indicated drugs. Thus, it will also not be necessary to have a CPF to be served by the program. This initiative will be put into practice in a pilot project in the Yanomami territory and will then be gradually expanded to other regions. The actions will be implemented with the participation of the district indigenous health councils”, informed the Ministry of Health. Other audiences The drugs for asthma, hypertension and diabetes that make up the list of Popular Pharmacy are free for all audiences. New accreditations The folder also resumed new qualifications, prioritizing more vulnerable municipalities that joined the More Doctors program. In all, 811 cities will be able to request accreditation of units in all regions of the country, 94.4% of them in the North and Northeast. With the new qualifications, the expectation is that, by the end of the year, Farmácia Popular will have units in 5,207 municipalities, equivalent to 93% of the national territory.
Agência Brasil
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