A move stems from a protocol to be signed on Monday between the Institute for Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies (ICAD), the National Pharmacy Association (ANF), and the Association of Pharmacies of Portugal (AFP), concerning Methadone Hydrochloride Treatment Programs in Community Pharmacies.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, ICAD President João Goulão stated that the model will provide users with “greater convenience” due to the proximity that pharmacies offer.
“Instead of having to go to specific units daily, take their dose, they can go to a pharmacy near their home or workplace, which interferes much less with their daily routines,” said João Goulão.
ANF President Ema Paulino added that the goal is to increase access to methadone, especially in areas with higher pressure on treatment centers.
Ema Paulino emphasized that the pharmacies’ widespread presence and their teams’ qualifications allow for extended hours and safe monitoring, facilitating the social reintegration of the population undergoing treatment.
“The aim is to ease access for this population, who are typically already reintegrated into society and could benefit from these extended hours and the reach of the pharmacies to have this administration observed in pharmacies,” she maintained.
According to ANF President Ema Paulino, the model will start in some areas identified by ICAD as priorities and will be rolled out later this year, with gradual expansion nationwide by 2026.
“These will be areas where there is currently some pressure on treatment centers, making it reasonable to increase points of access for this support and then gradually extend this to the entire national territory,” she mentioned.
Ema Paulino noted that the involvement of pharmacies will follow guidelines set by the Order of Pharmacists, ensuring team training and capacity building, and only pharmacies with qualified professionals will participate in the program.
ICAD President João Goulão explained that methadone is chiefly prescribed at ICAD drug treatment units, supplemented by administration by non-governmental organizations under the supervision of the Institute for Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies.
There are also mobile units – referred to as methadone vans – that travel urban areas, ensuring a daily dose is provided to users who find it challenging to commute.
Methadone had previously been dispensed in pharmacies but was halted in 2012 during the Troika intervention.
The protocol signing event will feature the Secretary of State for Health, Ana Povo, whose presence, according to ICAD, “underlines the strategic importance of this measure in strengthening the national response concerning addictive behaviors and dependencies.”
“The session will also include representatives from Infarmed – National Authority for Medicines and Health Products, and the Order of Pharmacists, reinforcing the necessary inter-institutional alignment for the safe, effective, and coordinated implementation of this new care delivery model,” states ICAD in a statement.
According to the latest Annual Report on the Country’s Drug and Addiction Situation by ICAD, 11,501 users were integrated into methadone therapeutic programs in 2023.
