The vice president, Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), said on Monday (12) that the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) will study and discuss the possibility of authorizing the sale of medicines without a prescription in supermarkets. The statement was made during an event of the Paulista Supermarket Association (APAS), in São Paulo.
“It is a topic to be discussed, to be discussed. As it is without prescription, it does not have the medical limitations. But it is a theme that the government will study,” said Alckmin, who is also a doctor. The proposal to release the sale of medicines in supermarkets and similar establishments is under analysis in the House of Representatives.
The measure aims to facilitate the population’s access to medicines that do not require prescription, such as painkillers, antipyretic and light anti-inflammatory drugs. However, the proposal faces strong resistance from pharmaceutical associations and health agencies, which warn of public health risks and economic impact on the sector.
The Brazilian Association of Pharmacy and Drugstores Networks (Abrafarma) states that medicines should not be treated as common products and warns that the sale in supermarkets can encourage indiscriminate consumption, without adequate guidance. Brazil has over 90,000 pharmacies, many of them small and could be harmed by the measure.
The practice of selling medicines in supermarkets has already been allowed in Brazil between 1994 and 1995, but authorization was revoked after pressure from the pharmaceutical sector and concerns about the inadequate use of products. In countries like the United States and Europe, the sale of non -prescription drugs in supermarkets is common, but with control rules.
The Lula government now studies the issue and should discuss the issue with sector representatives, public health specialists and parliamentarians. The final decision still depends on a consensus between the parties involved and the approval of the bill in the House of Representatives.
