[6] From 1988 to 1992, he worked at the Taipas Centre in Lisbon, established in 1987 by the Portuguese Ministry of Health "for the treatment, recovery and social reintegration of drug addicts.

"[7] In 1997, he became the national director of the network of drug treatment centres in Portugal.

In 1998, Goulão was a member of the 11-person committee that formed the report on which Portugal's current drug policy of decriminalisation was based.

[6] "[The committee] indicated directions in which to move with respect to policies of prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social reinsertion.

[1][9] Since 2005, Goulão has been head of the General-Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (Serviço de Intervenção nos Comportamentos Adictícios e nas Dependências) (SICAD), within Portugal's Ministry of Health.