Measure would give establishments another sales category to lower food prices
The president of the (Brazilian Association of Pharmacy and Drugstore Chains), Sérgio Mena Barreto, published a note criticizing the proposal to sell medicines in supermarkets. The measure would be adopted to reduce food inflation. Here is the text (PDF – 58 kB).
Supermarkets would be authorized to sell MIPs (over-the-counter medicines). By selling another category of products, food prices could fall. The president of Abrafarma criticized the measure. He said that these products represent approximately 30% of product sales in pharmacies.
“In the 93,000 Brazilian pharmacies, which cover 99% of the country’s cities, we generate 2 million direct jobs; 56,000 pharmacies opt for Simples/micro-enterprises”these. “Approving MIPs in supermarkets, just to give them ANOTHER sales category, is causing economic imbalance in a sector that works well and is highly respected around the world”he completed.
Barreto also argued that the cost of operating a pharmacy is high with rent, salaries, stocks and others. He said the measure would have a rebound effect of increasing the prices of prescription medicines, negatively impacting the population, especially the poorest.
Pharmacies say MIPs have risks and may require specific indication. He stated that in 68% of cases the customer clarifies their doubts with the pharmacist.
“Who is going to answer these questions in the supermarket? The butcher? The baker? The cashier?” asked Barreto. “It will be regrettable that, in a government that has always put people’s health in first place, the ‘mark’ of this Lula 2023-2026 administration will be the destruction of pharmacies, the increase in self-medication and the worsening of chronic diseases in the population”he completed.
The president (PT) on Monday (20.Jan.2025), during the 1st ministerial meeting of 2025, that ministers have to work to lower food prices. The Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, on Wednesday (22 January 2025) that the government is working on measures to make food cheaper.
As reported in the newspaper Economic Valuethe (Brazilian Supermarket Association) would have suggested selling medicines in supermarkets to help reduce food prices.
