President Claudia Sheinbaum launched the Farmacias del Bienestar program on December 3, 2025, opening 500 pharmacy kiosks across Estado de México. The government’s goal is to provide free medicines to seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in the home healthcare program. This initiative was created to counter the rising tide of chronic diseases and improve treatment access for the most vulnerable residents.
Why Mexico Is Investing in Pharmacy Kiosks
Farmacias del Bienestar is a network of kiosks located at health centers and in Tiendas del Bienestar stores. Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Clark stated that patients can collect 22 types of medicines, covering roughly 80% of therapies needed by older adults. Most prescriptions are for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia—the dominant conditions among beneficiaries. Each prescription supplies two months’ worth of medications [1][2][3].
The pharmacy kiosks are an extension of the Salud Casa por Casa program, which since May 2025 has already provided 8.8 million home visits nationwide. Around 20,000 nurses and doctors visit the homes of elderly and disabled people, diagnose conditions, write prescriptions, and now enable patients to collect medicines at these new locations. “So they don’t have to enter the health center and wait in the queues that usually exist at pharmacies, there will be [kiosks] outside health centers,” Sheinbaum explained at a press conference. Starting next week, kiosks will also appear in Tiendas del Bienestar stores [4][5].
How the Program Works and Who Benefits
Ariadna Montiel, Secretary of Social Welfare, emphasized that the program guarantees a steady supply of medicines for chronic illnesses, especially hypertension and diabetes. Medical staff will visit patients every two months to monitor their health and renew prescriptions. This isn’t just theory—it’s already working [3][5][6][1].
The program’s launch included 500 locations throughout Estado de México. Kiosks appeared in Naucalpan, Ecatepec, Valle de Chalco, and Atlacomulco, in IMSS and IMSS-Bienestar facilities, as well as in Tiendas del Bienestar stores. Delfina Gómez, the state governor, thanked Sheinbaum for choosing the region for the pilot [1][2][3][4][5].
Sheinbaum announced that by March 2026, Farmacias del Bienestar will reach all 32 Mexican states. The final goal is 15,000 kiosks: 5,000 in remote communities at Tiendas del Bienestar locations and 10,000 at health centers managed by IMSS, ISSSTE, and IMSS-Bienestar [6][7][8][9][10][1].
Roughly 16% of Mexican adults have diabetes, and one in four suffers from hypertension, according to government statistics. The program does not require additional budget allocations beyond funds for medicines; the main costs are kiosks and infrastructure [8][11][12]. Will other countries follow Mexico’s lead?