Caracterização do acesso a medicamentos em um município de médio porte no leste do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Despite the structural difficulties in public health in the 80’s and 90’s, there were significant advances in Brazilian health system back then like the the creation of the Unified Health System and National Medicine Policy. They seem to have favored access to medicines in Brazil. The present study aimed to characterize access to medicines in a medium-sized municipality in the eastern state of Minas Gerais. This study is based on the evaluation component of the National Research On Access, Use and Promotion of the Rational Use of Medicines basic pharmaceutical assistance services, where users of Unified Health System, pharmacists responsible for drug supply management in the public pharmacies, the one responsible for pharmaceutical services in the municipality and the municipal secretary of health. The results showed that there were shortages of medicines and supplies in the last 12 months and probably they are related to: absence of a Municipal Drug List and Therapeutic Pharmacy Commission, prescription of medicines by trade names, redirection of the Basic Assistance Component Pharmaceutical funds, lack of auxiliaries for those responsible for dispensing drugs and the excessive financial resources used in legal demands. The municipality management that aim to correct the mentioned flaws, can help in the improvement of the health field, with the optimized commitment of resources and consequent complete attention to the needs of the users of the health system.