Portugal should be ready for a potential increase in medicine prices, Health Minister Ana Paula Martins warned on Wednesday, though she said there was currently no “reason for major concern”.
“For the time being, we do not yet have any reason for major concern, but we must be prepared,” the minister told journalists at Santo André Hospital in Leiria.
João Almeida Lopes, president of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association (APIFARMA), said rising costs in oil, plastics, glass, aluminium and international tariffs were putting direct pressure on drug manufacturing. He added that inflation and political pressures could eventually push Portuguese medicine prices closer to those in the US.
Martins highlighted that while the international energy crisis would inevitably affect the pharmaceutical sector, it is not an immediate issue.
The medicines likely to be most affected are painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and generics.
Her visit also marked the inauguration of a new Pacing and Electrophysiology unit at Leiria’s Local Health Unit, a €7.5 million investment funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The facility will offer advanced treatments for cardiac arrhythmias, minimise patient transfers, and reduce waiting times.
The minister also honoured hospital staff for their “dedication and sense of mission” during Storm Kristin, recognising their efforts to maintain care under severe weather conditions.
