On May 22nd, the Ministry of Health issued Decree 852/2018, which amends Decree 1429/2016. establishing that the Administrator of the Resources of the General Social Security System (Adres) will be able to directly purchase medicines, inputs and equipment not covered by the Health Benefits Plan (POS). The POS includes those services which affiliates have the right to access through the General System of Social Security in Health (SGSSS), which is administered by the Adres.

Specifically, the decree allows the purchase of drugs with public resources for rare diseases and some types of cancer outside of those previously contemplated in the POS. For oncological control, POS already includes HER2 +, trastuzumab, pegfilgrastim in the treatment of prostate cancer and the ostomy kit for patients with colon and rectal cancer.

To complete the purchase, the ADRES must first request authorization from the Ministry of Health. The Ministry will go through all the procedures that are usually carried out after the purchase before the transaction.