The year 2025 marked the closure of the last mobile pharmacy post in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM), a service that did not achieve success on the island.
According to the Regional Statistics Directorate of Madeira (DREM), RAM had 65 pharmacies and 22 outlets for non-prescription medicines. The closure of the sole mobile post, located in Ribeira Brava, was the main highlight, contrasting with an increase of one non-prescription medicine outlet in Funchal and the closure of another in Santa Cruz.
The mobile post, which operated from 2006 to 2024, aimed to serve remote areas and an aging population but was ultimately discontinued. In contrast, outlets for non-prescription medicines, which began in 2007 with 9 locations, more than doubled. The number of pharmacies has remained stable since 2012.
In 2025, São Vicente had the highest density of pharmacies and mobile posts per 10,000 inhabitants (6.0), followed by Santana (4.5). Porto Santo had the lowest rate (1.4), followed by Santa Cruz (1.6). This data is part of the "Health Statistics of RAM 2025" publication, due in 2027.
