Program relaunched by the government will offer 40 medicines free of charge to Bolsa Família beneficiaries and indigenous people.| Photo: reproduction/TV Brasil

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) relaunched, this Wednesday morning (7), the Popular Pharmacy program with the free offer of 40 medicines to Bolsa Família beneficiaries and indigenous populations. Medicines will be offered for the treatment of diabetes, asthma, hypertension, osteoporosis and contraceptives.

The program also offers drugs with a discount of up to 90% for the treatment of dyslipidemia, rhinitis, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma and geriatric fraud.

According to the government, the program will be used by 55 million Brazilians. During the launch of the new phase of Farmácia Popular, Lula declared again that he does not consider resources invested in education and health to be considered expenses, but investments, and that it is the government’s function to provide medicines to the most vulnerable people, mainly retirees.

Lula also said that new drugs should be added to the program, but without mentioning which ones or the amount that the government will disburse to promote free of charge. And she criticized the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who would have “derided and diminished” the Popular Pharmacy program.

In addition to medicines, new pharmacies will also be accredited in 811 more vulnerable municipalities, mainly in the North and Northeast regions. As a result, the program will have units in 5,200 cities.