Obesity. Family doctors criticize restrictions: "It's the same as telling many patients that they will not have access"

Family doctors criticize new restrictions on obesity medication access, arguing it limits treatment options and burdens hospitals. Starting February 2027, the state will subsidize 15% of obesity medications, but only for patients under hospital care and specific specialists. The Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine warns that these conditions may exclude many patients from receiving necessary treatment. The president, Nuno Jacinto, emphasizes that requiring hospital referrals for all patients will overwhelm already strained hospital consultations. He also highlights the inconsistency in excluding family doctors from prescribing subsidized obesity medications despite their role in managing related health issues.