> Not in all cases. They can and will make the patient and multiple doctors fill out half a dozen forms to "justify" the use of an expensive medication.

But any doctor can do it, not just SUS doctors. You know the country we live in. Private doctors will do the prescription... Actually, to buy it you already need a prescription, and yet, even skinny healthy folks buy ozempic.

And to get in the SUS, it's pretty simple here in Paraná at least (and as a SUS user). The worst that happens, it's that for expensive/controlled medicines, they centralize into a single public pharmacy in the city center, and you need to schedule a day/time, and bring the ID - don't even need to be the user, you can ask anyone you want to get it if the prescription and ID it's there.

Which is why for my cheap medicine, I prefer to buy it. Not worth for me going to city center only for 30 pills that cost R$ 15.