Utilization of medicines by the Brazilian population, 2003

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to characterize the utilization of medicines by the Brazilian population, using data from the Brazilian World Health Survey. Medicines were grouped according to the active pharmaceutical ingredient based on an adaptation of the World Health Organization standard list of essential medicines. The analysis included the characteristics of individuals who keep medicines at home and who had used them within the reference period (within two weeks prior to the interview), according to presence of medical prescription. Nearly half of the participants (49.0%) reported use of medicines during the reference period. Older and wealthier individuals and those with chronic diseases or disabilities and with poor self-rated health keep and use medicines more frequently. For 25.0% of the individuals that had used medicines during the reference period, none of the drugs had been prescribed by a health professional. Among the individuals who had medicines prescribed in the last appointment, 13.0% were unable to obtain the prescribed medication (of these, 55.0% could not afford it). The most widely utilized group was that of the analgesics (22.0%), and only 51.0% of the individuals using this type of medicine had received a medical prescription for it.

Free access to hypertension and diabetes medicines among the elderly: a reality yet to be constructed

“…The high levels of access to continuous-use medicine to treat chronic diseases in elderly people was similar to other national studies; despite the use of different approaches 14,15,16 . The lower access observed in the Northeast along with a higher free access indicates that, in that region, the access relies on the free supply of medicines in the public sector.…”

“…Other studies have evaluated access since the last visit to a doctor 16,29 , medical appointment in the last 15 days 14 or 30 days 22 . Because this study deals with continuous-use medicine, the choice was to investigate medicine access in the last month.…”

“…The National Strategy for the Reorganization of Arterial Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus Care implements, through this Program, the register and follow-up of hypertensive and diabetic patients detected by SUS and the free supply of five essential medicines: captopril 25mg, hydroclorotiazide 25mg and propranolol 40mg for hypertension treatment; glibenclamide 5mg and metformin 850mg for diabetes treatment, as well as NPH-100 insulin systematically distributed within the public health service 13 through the Program of Strategic Medicines 14 . National publications about household-level medicine access are scant, the methodologies employed vary, access is measured regardless of consumption conditions 15,16,17,18 and some studies exclude chronic patients 14 . Other studies have evaluated medicine access based on the availability of medicine in health services 2,3,4,5,19 .…”

“…Other studies have evaluated medicine access based on the availability of medicine in health services 2,3,4,5,19 . In spite of different methods, population studies using 15-day recall period report medicine access ranging from 87% to 96% 14,15,16 . A study among elderly people from São Paulo city, Brazil, found a slightly lower access -82.7% -during the previous year 17 .…”

Uso de medicamentos por pessoas com deficiências em áreas do estado de São Paulo

“…In Brazil, use of analgesics was reported by 22% of respondents in a national survey conducted in 2003. 3 Use of medicines was reported by 73% of respondents who mentioned pain in fi ve Turkish cities. 16 In a study performed in Norway, 54% of respondents reported consuming analgesics in the 14 days prior to the interview.…”