Safe alert for sustainability of pharmaceutical distribution

O President of the Republic (PR), António José Seguro, today warned of the importance of ensuring the economic sustainability of pharmaceutical distribution in Portugal, in the context of international instability and increasing pressure on operational costs.

“ In the context of international instability and increasing pressure on operational costs, including fuel, the economic sustainability of pharmaceutical distribution must be ensured. Only in this way will it be possible to preserve the quality of the service provided and continue to respond to the needs of pharmacies and populations throughout our territory ", highlighted.

In his speech at the ceremony to honor Miguel Silvestre, part of the celebrations of the 52nd anniversary of Plural+udifar, a pharmaceutical cooperative, which took place this morning in Coimbra, António José Seguro stressed the importance of pharmaceutical distribution for the functioning of the health system.

“It is the daily work of these companies and their professionals that makes it possible to ensure that medicines arrive at pharmacies and, through them, people who need them safely and regularly,” he added.

According to the Head of State, ensuring this continuity of the supply chain “requires permanent logistical capacity and significant investment”.

The moment also served to highlight the adaptability and innovation of Portuguese companies, as well as the investment they make and the qualified employment they create.

“ To value these companies is also to create conditions for new generations to find opportunities in Portugal to develop their talent and build their life project”, he said.

António José Seguro's speech was also marked by his tribute to Miguel Silvestre, a former vice president and founder of Bluepharma, whose path was pointed out as an example of dedication to the pharmaceutical profession, the sector and people.

Vividly thrilled, the President of the Republic recalled his friend who died in June this year and who was also chairman of the board of directors of Plural+udifar, a wholesale pharmaceutical distribution cooperative in Portugal, founded in 1974, based in Coimbra.

About the Mérito Miguel Silvestre Scholarship, which Plural+udifar will develop in partnership with the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, Seguro considered that it allows to transform Miguel Silvestre's memory into an opportunity for new generations, by encouraging research and valuing merit and young talent.

The ceremony was also attended by Health Minister Ana Paula Martins, who used her intervention to remember that she is a daughter and granddaughter of pharmacists, and who met Miguel Silvestre in pharmaceutical associativism.

On the other hand, the mayor of Coimbra, Ana Abrunhosa, took the opportunity to announce that the street where Plural+udifar is based will be designated “Street Doctor Miguel Silvestre”, perpetuating its connection to the cooperative.