Abrafarma (an association that represents the largest pharmaceutical retail chains in the country) raised its tone against the bill that allows supermarkets to sell over-the-counter drugs, known as MIPs, which include painkillers and antacids.
The entity’s CEO, Sergio Mena Barreto, believes that the topic on the agenda in the Chamber of Deputies shows sordidness against public health in Brazil.
He also claims that Abras (the entity representing supermarkets) uses influence to pressure the government in an election year and resumes an agenda that has been overturned in the Legislature for ten years. The federal government, in turn, would appeal to economic liberalism to accept the proposal, he said.
Mena Barreto refutes the supermarkets’ thesis that drug prices would fall if food retail were opened. “They will pay the same taxes and meet the same requirements as we do. How will they reduce the price?”, says Abrafarma’s CEO.
To SA Panelthe vice president of Abras (Brazilian Association of Supermarkets), Antonio Longo, called “empty” the argument of pharmacies that it is necessary to have a pharmacist to guide the consumer.
After much complaint from the opposition, the Chamber dropped this Wednesday (3) an urgent request that would speed up the process of the project. If approved, the text would be debated in plenary this week, but the minimum quorum of votes was not reached. Now, the text returns to the Social Security and Family Commission, where it must receive a public hearing before returning to the plenary.
Joana Cunha with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Diego Felix
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
