Convenience stores, namely supermarkets, will soon be able to sell restricted drugs, but this still needs approval from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (ANARME).

The list of medicines allowed to be sold in these places will be those that do not require a recommendation from a health professional to be administered.

This openness to the sale of drugs without a doctor's prescription is enshrined in law, according to the Newsquoting the Head of the Central Department for Health Product Evaluation.

"We are working on creating a list of restricted products that will be authorized for sale in commercial establishments. These are drugs that are not safe to use. The user can administer them without consulting a health professional," said Cassiano João, stressing that, for the time being, only community and public pharmacies are authorized to sell pharmaceutical products.

The official noted that the sale of drugs in unauthorized places can put the quality of the product and the health of consumers at risk, as well as the fact that they may be of different origins.