The Commodification of Health Services: an Alternative for the Marginalized Population of Mexico City

Abstract

The Doctor’s Office Adjacent to Pharmacies (DAP) model has grown exponentially in Mexico. Its proliferation is due to two factors. The first is the high cost of medical consultations in private hospitals, and the second is that public health services are insufficient. To gauge the importance this model has acquired, it is necessary to analyze the pattern of distribution and operation of this type of doctors’ offices and determine whether they are responding to the unmet demand of a population that is socio-territorially marginalized from health infrastructure. A database was created with updated, geo-referenced information on the precise location of DAP throughout Mexico City and its metropolitan area. Information was obtained on the location, condition and type of franchise, and the infrastructure of each establishment. The analysis found that the distribution pattern of DAP satisfies an unmet need in areas with the highest demand for health services. This situation occurs particularly in areas inhabited by the most marginalized population.