Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular: 20 years of expanding access and new perspectives for care within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS)

Abstract

The Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program (Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil, PFPB) has become established as a complementary strategy within the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS) to expand
access to medicines and health supplies and reduce financial and geographical barriers. In 2026, the “Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular” initiative marks 20 years since its implementation. The provision of all items covered by the
Program free of charge, achieved in 2025, together with the outcomes associated with its expansion, provides
a basis for considering new possibilities for health care delivery. This article aims to discuss the Program’s
contributions to achieving the objectives of the National Medicines Policy and the National Pharmaceutical
Services Policy and to examine prospects for expanding its scope. The evidence reviewed associates the Program’s expansion with increased access, reduced household out-of-pocket expenditure, and improvements in indicators related to hospitalizations and deaths from certain chronic diseases. Challenges were also identified regarding territorial equity, coordination with pharmaceutical services managed by states and municipalities, and
the promotion of the safe and rational use of medicines. International experiences demonstrate the potential of
community pharmacies to provide clinical services, preventive interventions, and health condition monitoring.
The article concludes that the Program’s extensive network can be converted into complementary health care
capacity, provided that its expansion takes place under public governance, is integrated with Primary Health
Care, and is supported by clinical protocols, professional training, information system interoperability, transparent
remuneration, and continuous evaluation of outcomes.