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The article aimed to identify the sources of medicines for users of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) that reported chronic non-communicable diseases, characterizing the group according to demographic, socioeconomic, and health variables in the different regions of Brazil. Data were analyzed from the National Survey on Access, Use, and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines in Brazil (PNAUM), a cross-sectional population-based study. The dependent variable was "source of medicines", and the associations were analyzed with demographic, socioeconomic, and health status variables. Users that obtained care and medicines solely in the SUS were designated here as SUS-exclusive. Some 39% of persons obtained their medicines from SUS pharmacies and 28.5% from other sources. The study found 42.9%, 41.8%, 40.2%, and 31% of exclusive SUS users in the Southeast, South, North, and Northeast regions of Brazil, respectively. SUS users have the SUS as their primary source of medicines, but there is also a relevant share from other sources, suggesting problems with access in the SUS. In the South and Southeast regions, the population relies less on private pharmacies than in the Northeast and North.

This study aimed to describe and analyze factors associated with emergency care and hospitalization of hypertensive and diabetic patients in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, especially those related to the use of medicines. This is across-sectional study using secondary database from a household survey that approached hypertensive and diabetic patients. The outcome variables were: 1) seek for emergency careasa resultof complications related to hypertension and diabetes in the 12months preceding the interviews; 2) hospitalizationin the same period andfor the same reasons. Uni and bivariate analysis between exposure variables and each of the outcomes were performed using chi-square test at a significance level of 10%, which originated multivariate logistic regression analysis. Negative self-evaluation of health status was associated with both outcomes in the multivariate analysis. Having stopped taking the medications was associated with hospitalization and having missed a medical appointment in the last six months was associated with search for emergency care.

OBJECTIVE:To describe the cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire evaluating adhesion to treatment for arterial hypertension from its original Spanish version to a Portuguese version, to be applied in Brazil. METHODS:In order to establish conceptual, semantic and operational equivalents of the items, two independent translations to Portuguese, and two back-translations into Spanish were performed. The translations and back-translations were assessed for changes in referential and general meanings. The synthesis of the translations was applied in pre-tests with patients with arterial hypertension and/or diabetes, which were important to identify different problems and confi rm earlier decisions. RESULTS:In general, the second translation and back translation were evaluated more positively because the translation process did not affect the meanings in fi ve of the twelve items of the questionnaire. Operational changes were made and a vignette with response options and an example included in the instrument facilitated application in interviews. CONCLUSIONS:The results obtained in the process of evaluating the items' conceptual, semantic and operational equivalence allowed the construction of a Portuguese version of the MBG questionnaire to assess adherence to treatment which can be applied in the Brazilian context.

This paper aims to analyze the measurement equivalence aspects (internal consistency and interrater reliability) of a Brazilian version of Martín-Bayarre-Grau (MBG) adherence questionnaire as part of its cross-cultural adaptation. Item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were used as internal consistency estimates. Stability was evaluated through test and retest comparison and expressed through intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa with quadratic weighting. ICC for the overall scale was 0.81, indicating an "almost perfect" agreement. However, some cases of "poor" and "slight" agreements were found while analyzing individual items. The translated version of the MBG questionnaire showed good homogeneity (alpha 0.78), higher than cutoff points suggested in the literature. The scale has proved capable of measuring the level of adherence to treatment in hypertensive and/or diabetic patients in a reliable way.Uniterms: Adherence to medication. Reproducibility of results. Questionnaires/study. Martín-BayarreGrau/study/aspects