This week, the Chambers of Silves and Loulé signed protocols with Associação Dignitude, for the implementation in the municipalities of Well Program: Solidarity Medicine Network. These two municipalities join those of Faro, Albufeira and Aljezur who have also joined the network.
This program guarantees “access to outpatient medicine for any citizen in Portugal who is in a situation of economic need that makes it impossible for him to purchase reimbursed medicines prescribed by a medical prescription”.
The program covers “individuals benefiting from social solidarity benefits but also all those who are faced with an unexpected situation of economic need arising from involuntary unemployment or disabling illness, among other situations of need that may also be considered”.
The local authorities are responsible for providing their "aggregating capacity, involvement and dynamization of civil society and the business fabric to pursue the objectives" of this program, as well as for the "referencing of socially vulnerable individuals whose situation is suitable" in this type of support and in the provision of a financial contribution for the implementation of the Abem Program.
Sara Nóbrega, manager of partnerships, explains that "the program has as protagonist the needy families that are identified by the Municipality."
Afterwards, an analysis and subsequent selection of beneficiaries is carried out, in accordance with what is established in the protocol. This is followed by the issuance of the card that gives access to obtain, free of charge, medicines subject to a doctor's prescription and reimbursed by the State.
“What the program will do is to reimburse the remainder that the user would have to pay at the pharmacy and that, otherwise, he would not have the money to do it”, explained Sara Nóbrega.
The cards are validated online, allowing, for example, that the beneficiary who currently has support, and if their situation improves, may no longer need to join the program, making room for other beneficiaries.
Bearing in mind that transparency is of paramount importance to Associação Dignitude, a solidarity fund was created which «provides the guarantee that all donations that are given to the Abem Program are used exclusively to pay for medicines».
To make this project operational, Associação Dignitude has established partnerships with local authorities, local private social solidarity institutions and pharmacies, while all the structure and logistics necessary for the functioning of the association is funded by the promoting associations - Associação Nacional das Pharmacias, Associação of Pharmacies in Portugal and APIFARMA – Portuguese Association
of the Pharmaceutical Industry.
The Solidarity Medicine Network was created in May 2016 and currently includes 115 municipalities, 120 partnerships, more than 600 pharmacies, more than 8000 beneficiaries (15% of whom are children), having already delivered more than 200 thousand packages of medicines.
For those responsible for the program, the goals are to reach, by the end of this year, 14500 beneficiaries and, in 2020, reach 30000.
For the Association's ambassador and former Health Minister, Maria de Belém Roseira, this Network intends to bridge a time when "pharmacies were more likely to do what was normal, which was to give medicines and people would pay when they could" .
Given the difficulties in terms of the sustainability of pharmacies and the financial incapacity of users, the idea of creating
of Associação Dignitude which had as founders «a group of people encouraged to join this cause», among which António Arnaut, Odete Ferreira, Ramalho Eanes, João Silveira and Maria de Belém Roseira herself.
"Being sick, being chronically ill and not having access to medicines means a huge social injustice, many people are unable to carry out surveillance of their disease because they lack a few euros or even cents", stresses this responsible for Dignitude, also considering the difficulty the social security system in providing this support to all citizens.
The former head of the Ministry of Health also stressed the importance of transparency in this program. An innovative program that, by the way, has already been awarded several times for the importance of its social reach.
At the protocol signing ceremony, in Loulé, this Tuesday, April 9th, Vítor Aleixo spoke of the «very noble content of this protocol, since its practical application will result in help to many residents of Loulé, who will now have access to the medication they need'.
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