Evaluation of priority criteria in Brazil’s Farmácia Popular Program in relation to social vulnerability and the Mais Médicos Program

Abstract

This study evaluates the application of priority criteria for accreditation within Brazil’s Farmácia Popular Program (PFPB), as established by Decree No. 11,555/2023, which defines municipalities with high or very high social vulnerability and participation in the Mais Médicos Program as priorities. Data were obtained from the registry of pharmacies accredited by PFPB (February 2025), the Mais Médicos Program dashboard (April 2025), both from the Ministry of Health, and population estimates from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The analysis revealed that 1,798 municipalities simultaneously meet both criteria, of which 80.29% already have at least one accredited pharmacy. Despite the partial effectiveness observed, the regional distribution showed persistent inequalities, with a concentration of accreditations in the Southeast and lower participation in the North and Northeast regions. The historical series indicated stagnation between 2016 and 2022, followed by a resumption in 2023, when 76.00% of new accreditations occurred in priority municipalities. The findings indicate progress in directing the program toward socially vulnerable territories, but also reveal structural constraints to reducing regional inequalities, reinforcing the need to expand program coverage in less favored regions to strengthen equity and access to essential medicines in the country.