Industry asks Popular Pharmacy to become a Bolsa Familia – 05/30/2023 – Panel SA

Abrafarma (an association that represents pharmaceutical retail chains) is trying to convince PT parliamentarians to embrace an agenda for the sector. The main point is to convert Farmácia Popular into a state policy, as happens with Bolsa Família. This would give perpetuity to the program, independent of the government.

The resumption of Farmácia Popular was a campaign promise by Lula and announced by the president during the May Day celebrations in São Paulo. However, the Ministry of Health has not yet presented the current project.

For Abrafarma, resuming Farmácia Popular as a state policy is also a way to solve the program’s budget shortage —which, last year, ran the risk of being made unfeasible during the administration of Jair Bolsonaro.

In addition, the entity asks that the possibility of providing rapid tests, vaccines and other health services to the population be included.

In March, the Federal Court of Auditors presented a report with a series of indications to the Ministry of Health in order to strengthen the program.

In the evaluation of the technicians, the program presents a risk of fraud and diversion of public resources due to “weak management”.

The court of accounts pointed out that service is unequal between the regions of the country, with a higher concentration of beneficiaries in the Midwest, South and Southeast and lower among beneficiaries in the North and Northeast.

The government has until the second half of the year to adapt the program following TCU’s proposals.

Abrafarma also wants to prevent the annual readjustment of medicines from being extinguished. In Congress, two projects are discussing a way to review the pricing policy. For the association, they can “distance Brazil from innovations and harm the industry”.

The objective is to find a way to improve the calculation of readjustments and avoid abrupt readjustments.

Pharmacy chains also joined forces with education and pharmaceutical organizations, calling for differentiated treatment in the tax reform, in addition to demanding a separate rate for health companies.

“Currently, taxes on medicines are at an absurd 32%, with the world average being 6%. Our concern is that the reform eliminates the exemption from PIS and Cofins, which would further compromise access to medicines” , said Sergio Mena Barreto, CEO of Abrafarma.

The association’s list of requests also includes the approval of a bill that establishes mechanisms to stimulate the Economic and Industrial Health Complex. The objective is to encourage the domestic production of pharmaceutical ingredients and reduce dependence on imported raw materials from China and India.

With Diego Felix

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