Closure of hospital pharmacies in Lisbon target of protest

The CAD Center Anti-Discrimination HIV said today in a statement that it disagrees with the closure of hospital pharmacies at the hospital of São José and Santo António dos Capuchos.

“This situation is conditioning access to treatment for people with HIV, contributing to the lack of adherence to therapy and with possible serious consequences for individual and public health”, explained João Brito, from GAT Group of Activists in Treatments, one of the two organizations that make up the CAD, adding that “to date, we have registered 48 complaints about difficulties in obtaining medication, lack of access to the PDMP and treatment interruptions”.

At the end of 2022, the Board of Directors of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central (CHULC) decided to close the outpatient pharmacies at the Hospitals of São José and Santo António dos Capuchos, without prior notice to patients and health professionals. This decision means that patients undergoing follow-up at these two hospitals will have to go to Hospital Curry Cabral to pick up their medication.

Ana Duarte, from Ser+ (Portuguese Association for the Prevention and Challenge to AIDS), an organization that also manages the HIV Anti-Discrimination Centre, reported that “this decision led to reactions of displeasure from patients, due to the difficulties in collecting medicines, with the aggravating factor of exhaustion of the Proximity Medication Dispensing Program (PDMP), and non-compliance with the Dispatch indicating that antiretroviral therapy should be dispensed for a minimum period of 90 days, which justified the contact of CAD with the Board of Directors of CHULC, twice, without any formal response so far”.

In a statement sent to the press today, Ana Duarte explains that “over the 40 years of the HIV epidemic, we, SNS (National Health Service) and Community Organizations, have come a long way in terms of prevention, access to health care and promotion of adherence to treatment, in order to advance in the control of HIV infection. Portugal, compared to other EU countries, is still far from this goal”.

CAD advocates that patients should be able to pick up their medication at the follow-up hospital, where they have their consultation and contact with their doctor, where they carry out exams, without the need to travel to another hospital.

“With regard to the Proximity Medication Dispensing Program (PDMP) it is unequivocal that there is a benefit for some patients and, as such, it should fairly welcome all those who express an interest in being integrated into this program, functioning as an alternative to collecting medication in the hospital outpatient pharmacy. But this is not the reality of the situation that comes to us through contact with patients”, adds João Brito.

Some of the (anonymous) reports received by CAD:

“I tried several times to get this information on how I can pick up the medication at a pharmacy closer to my house than the Curry Cabral Hospital and no one can say, even after months of having started this modality”

“I was presented with an alternative for collecting drugs in a community pharmacy, however when asking this question at the Curry Cabral Hospital I was told that I would not be entitled to it since I am a resident of Lisbon and have no mobility impairment that would make it impossible for me to travel to the Hospital. In my opinion this system should be more streamlined. I am totally dissatisfied that they closed the service at Hospital dos Capuchos.”

“The alternatives were presented but since I live in Lisbon I cannot use the community pharmacies. I presented the situation by email in the first week of January/2023 and so far I have not received a response.”

“I am completely dissatisfied with the measure taken, after all, no alternative was taken, no alternative place to collect the medicines. I live on the South Bank and I took advantage of my appointments in Lisbon to pick up medication. Now, in addition to carrying out the consultation at the Capuchos, I need to make a trip to the new hospital. Unfortunate!"

“The centralization of these services makes no sense. Personally, when I go for my analyzes and consultations, I take the opportunity and collect the medication at the same time. A waste of time having to go to another hospital... And certainly a huge overload on Curry Cabral's service.”

“It's absurd, in addition to a schedule that is not compatible with a working adult's schedule, it's very far from the follow-up hospital, and the waiting time is huge. There has to be another solution, quick and effective for those who need these drugs to survive.”

“Those who thought of this new medication collection system are not aware of the problems, namely: 1. Queues in an unsuitable space! Room always full, service very time consuming! 2. Privacy = None!!! Employees speak loudly and in the room we have access to information that should be protected! Example for HIV patients! Just missing a red stamp on the forehead!!! 3. Being treated in one hospital and picking up medication in another is typical of third world countries!!! 4. There are patients who travel from abroad (my case), we never know what awaits us! Whether there is stock or not! 5. The “boxes” don't have safe distances, the employees have inefficient opening hours for the user! I give a negative note to this decision, I hear many disgruntled users and employees ask to send an email, which we know will come to nothing! Indignation!!!"