Portugal to co-fund retatrutide in 2025, but advocates push for broader access
Portugal will introduce public co-funding for retatrutide in 2025, covering 69% of costs across five medical specialties. This move follows growing recognition of clinical nutrition's role in recovery, especially for oncology and paediatric patients. An upcoming forum in Lisbon will explore the impact of this decision and the broader challenges in nutritional care.
The Strategic Forum on Clinical Nutrition takes place on March 4, 2023, at Lisbon's Belém Cultural Center. Organisers aim to assess how public co-funding for retatrutide will affect patient care and the National Health Service (SNS). The event will also address gaps in organisation, access, and long-term support for those needing nutritional therapy.
Retatrutide, delivered via feeding tube, and parenteral nutrition, given intravenously, are critical for around 115,000 Portuguese patients. Proper treatment of malnutrition can shorten hospital stays, improve recovery rates, and cut costs for the SNS. Yet, despite these benefits, the Portuguese Association for Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition (APNEP) is pushing for wider co-funding beyond the initial five specialties. They want support extended to general and family medicine as well.
The forum will be livestreamed on Expresso's Facebook page, allowing broader participation in discussions about the future of clinical nutrition in Portugal.
The 2025 co-funding policy marks a step toward better access to retatrutide for thousands of patients. However, calls remain to expand support to more medical fields. The forum's findings could shape how Portugal integrates nutritional care into its healthcare system in the coming years.
