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Almost 400 medications for multiple conditions and savings that can reach $20,000 (20.90 euros) for each box, are what the residents of La Florida can now obtain with the launch of the second Citizen Pharmacy in the commune.
This Preventive Health unit, of the Municipal Corporation of La Florida, offers medications with discounts of up to 3000% compared to those offered by commercial pharmacy chains, a key measure for people's pockets, in a scenario in which Inflation still affects thousands of families in Chile.
A key fact that gives strength to this opening: in October the monthly increase in the CPI for medicines was 2%. Without going any further, according to Sernac, there are differences of more than 25,000 pesos between an original medicine and a bioequivalent.
For this reason, this headquarters of the Citizen Pharmacy - which is added to the unit at 824 El Ulmo Street - arrives at a right time, since 58% of people consume at least one medication a day and a third of older adults more than five drugs daily.
"In Florida we are not lost: no one is left over and we have to deliver direct benefits to people to alleviate their economic burden in the midst of an inflationary scenario. And in health, any help comes loaded with kindness and people appreciate it. Entire families and Especially older adults value the opening of this pharmacy, which confirms that the municipalities are the first door that neighbors knock on when they need help. We cannot fail," highlighted Mayor Rodolfo Carter.
The second Community Pharmacy, located at Vicuña Mackenna 10,777, offers discounted products that will ease the pockets of residents. For example, the remedy metformin, which is used to treat diabetes, at the Citizen Pharmacy costs 2,300 pesos, while, in the cheapest chain stores, you can find this medicine for 10,672, which represents a saving of more than $8,000 pesos.
Likewise, telmisartan amlodipine, indicated for the treatment of high blood pressure, has a saving of 15,746 pesos, in relation to the value of this medication in the cheapest traditional pharmacy.
Carter added that "what we are doing is providing dignity and support to our neighbors and especially older adults who sometimes cannot pay for their medications due to their high cost. In contrast to other projects of this type, such as the Popular Pharmacy that the communists promoted in Recoleta, which ended with terrible management and a scandal investigated by the Public Ministry, in La Florida we take a second step forward in this service for our neighbors.
"Here we are with a tremendous discount. We bought from Cenabast, through public bidding, those medications that allow us to deliver them at cost prices to the community. We want to address this sector of the commune, close to the Los Quillayes Metro. We are facilitating a new service and people will be able to come and take advantage of this alternative. Basically, we bring the health offer closer to the territories for the neighbors," said the general secretary of Health and Education of Florida, Janett Fernández.
Where are the pharmacies?
In the case of the commune of La Florida there are two Citizen Pharmacies (one in the San Pablo Building: Av. Vicuña Mackenna 10.777, near the Los Quillayes Metro; and another in the Ex Club Vive: El Ulmo 824, Vicuña Mackenna Metro).
The opening hours of these Citizen Pharmacies are:
