The Farmácia Popular project was created to extend the access to the essential medicines, like painkillers, antihypertensive medicines and even medicines for the control of diabetes, cholesterol, among others. All together, 107 items are offered to the citizen at low costs.

The program started with 27 units and today there are 520 popular drugstores throughout the country, which are implemented through a partnership of the Ministry of Health and Osvaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) with states, municipalities and philanthropic institutions. The medicines are purchased from official public or private pharmaceutical laboratories. When necessary, they are acquired through bid auctions.

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• Popular Drugstore is a government project that provides the Brazilian citizen drugs at cost

In 2006, the program was extended with the creation of a new category called There is a Popular Drugstore Here (Aqui tem Farmácia Popular). The beneficiary can buy three types of medicines -- for diabetes, hypertension and contraceptives – in private drugstore chains in covenant with the government, paying up to 10% of the price of the product. The remainder is paid by the federal government. Today, there are 6,817 partner establishments, and this number is expected to reach 20 thousand by 2011.