Methadone will once again be dispensed and administered in community pharmacies

Methadone will once again be dispensed and administered in community pharmacies, guaranteeing proximity, controlled dispensing, and pharmaceutical follow-up for users, within the scope of a protocol signed this Monday between the Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD), the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products (INFARMED), the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society, the National Association of Pharmacies (ANF) and the Association of Pharmacies of Portugal (AFP).

The Secretary of State for Health, Ana Povo, said that this is «a winning program» and «a way to humanize the response to the needs of these people». «Due to their capillary nature, community pharmacies are points of entry into the National Health Service», emphasized Ana Povo.

The participation of community pharmacies is essential to improving user accessibility and promoting treatment adherence, since, due to the balanced distribution of the network across the entire national territory and their flexible and extended opening hours, pharmacies contribute to increasing the number of locations available for assisted methadone intake.

In addition to providing proximity care, the collaboration aims to reduce the risks associated with its misuse, through controlled dispensing and therapeutic follow-up for users, based on the technical and scientific knowledge of the pharmacists, whose training and capacity building will be ensured by the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society.

The President of the ANF, Ema Paulino, recalled the path taken since 1998, when the country «took a pioneering step by integrating community pharmacies into a pilot program for methadone administration». «It is with a sense of responsibility and commitment that we celebrate the signing of this protocol today. (…) By bringing treatment closer to the place of residence or work, we are giving back time, dignity, and hope», reinforced Ema Paulino, also underlining the importance of generating evidence in this area. 

The President of ICAD’s Executive Board, João Goulão, pointed out the importance of the «increase in convenience and capacity for reintegration» provided by the program, which he recognizes as being of «extreme usefulness».

In this way, the program contributes to improving the quality of life and the reintegration of the person being followed into society, also providing for bidirectional communication between the different health professionals involved, through a platform that will allow for the electronic registration of administrations, dispensations, and any clinical incidents. 

According to ICAD, the illicit consumption and abuse of psychotropic and narcotic substances have been expanding worryingly in several countries, including Portugal, where there are currently more than 11,000 people involved in opiate substitution programs with methadone.

The protocol signing ceremony, within the scope of the Methadone Hydrochloride Treatment Programs in Community Pharmacies, took place this Monday at ICAD’s headquarters in Lisbon.