OBJECTIVE To identify limiting factors in the management of pharmaceutical services in the primary health care provided by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS).METHODS This study was based on the data from the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos no Brasil (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), and it was conducted by interviews with professionals responsible for pharmaceutical services in Brazilian cities, in 2015. To identify the management limiting factors, we considered the organizational, operational, and sustainability indicators of the management. For the analyses, we included the weights and structure of analysis plan for complex samples. The results were expressed by frequencies and measures of central tendency with 95% confidence interval, considering the Brazilian geographic regions.RESULTS We identified the following limiting factors: lack of pharmaceutical services in the Municipal Health Secretariat organization chart (24%) and in the health plan (18%); lack of participation of managers in the Health Board and the absence of reference to this topic in the agenda of meetings (58.4%); lack of financial autonomy (61.5%) and lack of knowledge on the available values (81.7%); lack of adoption of operational procedures (about 50%) for selection, scheduling, and acquisition; and the fact that most professionals evaluate the organization of pharmaceutical services as good and great (58.8%), despite the worrisome indicators.CONCLUSIONS Pharmaceutical services management is currently supported by a legal and political framework that should guide and contribute to improve the pharmaceutical services in the Brazilian Unified Health System primary health care. However, there is a mismatch between the goals established by these guidelines and what is actually happening.

Background In front of the physical and social isolation, as well as feelings of fear and instability imposed by the pandemic of COVID-19, especially for risk groups such as people 50 + , it became even more relevant to discuss the formulation of personal plans for this age population. This study aimed to analyse the individual plans of people 50 + , considering their perception, feelings and life experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This is a mixed study (quali-quantitative), using Minayo’s methodology for content analysis and frequency analyses, made with 39 participants from the University of Brasília Educational Program, Universidade do Envelhecer – UniSER/UnB. We used a word cloud system and a wheel of life tool to showcase the results. Results Analysing professional achievements and situations participants want to overcome, the categories of feelings that stand out were Loving Relationships, Sadness, Family Absence, Grief, Trauma and Regret. Intellectual Development, Personal Fulfilment, Purpose and Creativity, Hobbies and Fun were the most mentioned personal plans displayed by the wheel of life. The key personal changes mentioned were to be less shy, prioritise themselves, change how they interact with others, and focus on their health. Conclusions This study concludes that perception, feelings and life experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic did not seem to directly affect the path in elaborating personal plans.

Access can be understood as the sum of a number of elements of the interface between patients and the health care system. This study took a comprehensive approach to the dimensions of access to medications, employing indicators to evaluate the dimensions of access to antihypertensive medications in Ceilândia, DF, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study, administering questionnaires during home visits. The survey covered epidemiological and socioeconomic profiles, behavioral habits and the dimensions of access to antihypertensive medications comprising physical, financial, and geographic availability and accept ability according to the hypertensive population of Ceilândia. The total sample comprised 400 individuals and the hypertensive subset numbered 140 (35%). Indicators of physical availability of medications revealed that users found it difficult to acquire their drugs on almost one third of occasions and in some cases were unable to access any of these products. The greatest barriers to access were reported by users of pharmacies belonging to the Brazilian National Health Service (SUS) and on the "People's Pharmacies" network. More than one third of the hypertensive sample spent their own money on medications they could not find at these pharmacies. The majority of the hypertensive subsets were overweight/obese, a minority engaged in physical activity and 40% were smokers/ex-smokers. More women reduced their salt intake. Men had higher incomes, educational level, and socioeconomic status. Failure to keep the public health care system supplied has prejudiced access to essential medications for hypertension treatment, transferring the costs onto users. This population has lifestyle habits that increase the risk of exacerbation of hypertension. These results reveal a F. X. C. Salgado et al. 1518 need for effective public policies to ensure access to antihypertensive medications and involve users of the health care system in changing their habits and behaviors in order to achieve adequate and lasting control of systemic arterial hypertension.

Jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora) is a native Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest fruit tree. Its fruits are purplish berries with a short shelf life, due to fermentative processes that begin shortly after harvest. Recently, commercial jabuticaba exploitation has intensified, justifying the application of postharvest technologies. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the chemical characteristics and nutraceutical compounds of “ponhema” jabuticabas stored at room and cold temperatures. Chemical analyzes (soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, soluble sugars, soluble pectins and pectinamethylesterase (PME) activity), and nutraceutical compounds (total anthocyanins (TA), yellow flavonoids (YF), total phenolic compounds (TFC)) were performed. A completely randomized experimental design was applied. Analyzes were performed every 2 days, at days 0, 2, 4 for the room temperature (25° C) assay and at days 0, 2, 4 and 6 for the cold temperature (13° C) experiment. Fruits stored under cold temperature presented lower acetaldehyde and ethanol contents, as well as high soluble sugar, total anthocyanin, and total phenolic compound levels. Fruits stored at room temperature displayed marked wilting and fermentation on the fifth day of storage, preventing their consumption after this period. Fruits presented a shelf-life gain of up to two days when stored at cold temperature, displaying better characteristic maintenance, such as soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH and soluble sugars, which were verified by the acetaldehyde and ethanol tests. Total anthocyanin and phenolic compound levels were higher in fruits stored at cold temperature

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