Brazilian government resumes social program for access to free or low-cost medicines

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has rebooted the government’s “Farmacia Popular” program, a scheme offering free or low-cost medications.

Speaking at the relaunch in Recife, Pernambuco, the president underscored the program’s aim to end situations where citizens, despite having a prescription, couldn’t afford necessary medications.

Lula da Silva assured that this problem would not persist, with the revised Farmacia Popular program facilitating access to 40 drugs free of charge.

The available medicines are divided into two categories: a free list and another offering discounts of up to 90 percent compared to commercial pharmacy prices.

The president emphasized that this initiative is designed to support the nation’s most needy people, who will now be treated as “first-class people”.

Another major development in the government’s program is the recommencement of accreditation for new pharmacies.

This process had been stalled for eight years, but the resumption aims to establish pharmacies in most of Brazil’s municipalities.

Farmacia Popular was initially instituted in 2004 during Lula da Silva’s first presidency, but the program’s reach was limited over the years, particularly during the term of President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022).

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