Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira explained today (8) the purchase by the Armed Forces of 35,000 tablets of sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, one of the main drugs for erectile dysfunction on the market. The minister participated in a public hearing held by the Financial Inspection and Control and Social Security and Family committees of the Chamber of Deputies after approval of the summons.
The minister also defended the purchase of about 60 penile prostheses by the Army in 2021. According to Nogueira, the purchases were made after a medical prescription.
“The mentioned drug is provided for in Conitec’s clinical protocols and therapeutic guidelines [Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no Sistema Único de Saúde] of SUS [Sistema Único de Saúde] for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and systemic sclerosis. It is a medicine incorporated in the SUS and included in the list of essential medicines, Rename [Relação Nacional de Medicamentos Essenciais]” said the minister.
According to Nogueira, the acquisition of prostheses was also made under medical prescription in the care of patients suffering from pathologies that require this type of treatment.
Shortly after the case came to light, in early April, the Federal Audit Court (TCU) opened a representation to determine the purchase of products. Among the points investigated by the court of accounts are the possibility of overpricing of 143% in the purchase of Viagra.
To the deputies, the minister said that he has been at the helm of the ministry for two months and promised to send information later requested by parliamentarians. He also said that the ministry does not interfere in the acquisitions of laboratories by the different Armed Forces.
“The ministry does not manage the acquisition of laboratories for the Forces. The management and control belongs to each Force”, he said. “I certify that all Armed Forces acquisitions are governed by honesty, transparency, administrative efficiency, legality and correctness. Any discrepant cases, when identified, are widely investigated and restrained, either by internal control or by external control”.
deputies
Deputy Elias Vaz (PSB-GO), one of the authors of the request to discuss the purchase, questioned the need to buy Viagra when, according to him, there is a lack of basic medicines such as dipyrone in the SUS. Vaz also questioned the value of penile prostheses purchased by the Army.
“It was even a question that the TCU made to the Ministry. We have prostheses there that cost less than R$ 5 thousand and prostheses that cost R$ 60 thousand, and the Army insisted on buying the prosthesis for R$ 60 thousand. discussion whether the person deserves it or not, but it’s public money”, he said.
Deputy Alexandre Padilha (PT-SP) said that he questioned the Armed Forces about the use of medicines, which were being applied outside the recommendations of health bodies. Padilha said that he received spreadsheets in response showing that professionals from other specialties, such as infectious disease specialists and even pediatricians, were prescribing the medication.
“You are not obliged to know the therapeutic regimen, but check this out. It makes no sense for a disease that the protocol says that the use is 60 mg per day, with three 20 mg pills, and the Armed Forces buy 25 and 50 mg”, he said. “What justification for a pediatrician to prescribe this medication?”.
The question was rebutted by Rep. Luiz Ovando (PP-MS), member of the allied base. According to the parliamentarian, the questions were part of a narrative to try to “degrade” the Armed Forces.
“Unfortunately we had an attempt to tarnish the Armed Forces”, said the deputy referring to Padilha’s statement about the prescription of Viagra. “I don’t know where it is written in medicine. I’ve never seen that pediatrician can’t prescribe sildenafil. I wish they would give me the reference.”
