The president of the Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD), Joana Teixeira, explained that these “three regions of the country were selected as being the most in need in terms of human resources to provide opioid treatment and substitution services”.

The pilot phase envisages the initial participation of three pharmacies per region, each monitoring four patients. The future voluntary participation of other pharmacies will be formalised through communication via the Licenciamento+ Portal.

The announcement was made by Joana Teixeira at the Parliamentary Health Committee, where she presented the 2024 annual report on addictive behaviours, in response to PSD deputy Liliana Fidalgo.

“We will start with 12 patients in each of the three regions in the second half of April. Therefore, everything is going according to plan for this to become a reality very soon,” she said.

Joana Teixeira pointed out that all partners – the National Association of Pharmacies (ANF), the Association of Portuguese Pharmacies, the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products (Infarmed) and ICAD – are “in tune” and “collaborating” on this project.

The protocol for the dispensing and administration of methadone in community pharmacies was signed on 24 November 2025 between ICAD, INFARMED, the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society, ANF and AFP, marking the return of this service after it was interrupted in 2012.

It was signed under the Methadone Hydrochloride Treatment Programmes in Community Pharmacies with the aim of widening access to treatment for people with opioid dependence by including pharmacies as places for controlled dispensing and therapeutic monitoring.

According to ICAD, the illicit use and abuse of psychotropic and narcotic products has been growing at an alarming rate in several countries, including Portugal, where there are currently more than 11,000 people involved in methadone substitution programmes.

At the hearing, Joana Teixeira also spoke about integrated strategies with local authorities to address concerns related to drug use in Lisbon and Porto, an issue also raised by Liliana Fidalgo.

“This issue has deserved our utmost attention from the outset,” said the president of ICAD, who took office on 1 January, replacing João Goulão.

She said that contacts had already been established with Porto councillor Gabriela Queiroz and a meeting had been held with Lisbon City Council councillor Maria Luísa Aldinho with a view to taking “robust action” on the ground.

“We are all working together to offer a response that goes beyond the assisted consumption room, which is undoubtedly one of the needs, but we want a more robust response, so that in a year or two we are not faced with the same problems again and instead of a room with a size of X, we need X plus 100 square metres,” she stressed.

Joana Teixeira argues that “a robust intervention is needed that really reduces the damage with the assisted consumption room,” but that also allows patients to be recruited for treatment and offers social responses.

The goal, she explained, is to have a “more comprehensive and integrated response and not just the issue of the assisted consumption room.”