Access to medication emphasizes the availability of the product at the expense of providing a service. The goal of this paper is to propose a theoretical model for a drug dispensing service, beginning with a reflection on the current realities of the Unified Health System and drug dispensation in Brazil. A conceptual analytical research made by a methodological course called disciplined imagination was mainly the approach applied to develop the model. The drug dispensing service is part of the care process, which considers access as an attribute; reception, connection and accountability, management, and clinical pharmaceutical aspects as components; and the rational use of drugs as the purpose. The proposed model addresses access to the dispensing service and demands a reorientation of routines, instruments, and practices.Uniterms: Drugs/dispensing practice. Pharmaceutical service. Unified health system. Health services/ access.O acesso a medicamentos enfatiza a disponibilidade do produto em detrimento da provisão de um serviço. O objetivo deste trabalho é propor um modelo teórico para um serviço de dispensação de medicamentos, iniciando com uma reflexão sobre a realidade atual do Sistema Único de Saúde e a dispensação de medicamentos no Brasil. Uma pesquisa analítica conceitual realizada por meio de um percurso metodológico chamado de imaginação disciplinada constituiu a estratégia principal para o desenvolvimento do modelo. O serviço de dispensação é parte do processo de cuidado, o qual considera o acesso como um atributo; os aspectos acolhimento, vínculo e responsabilização, gestão e clínica farmacêutica como componentes e o uso racional de medicamentos como o propósito. O modelo proposto direciona o acesso para o serviço de dispensação e demanda a reorientação de rotinas, instrumentos e práticas.Unitermos: Medicamentos/prática de dispensação. Assistência farmacêutica. Sistema único de saúde. Serviços de saúde/acesso.
INTRODUCTIONThe use of medications is steadily increasing (Lu et al., 2011) and is a complex socioeconomic phenomenon with respect to ensuring drug accessibility, rational use, and the ability to solve health problems (Wiedenmayer et al., 2006). Worldwide, drug access systems are characterized by excessive and careless use, the deviation of drugs from their intended purpose, overestimated benefits, and a high prevalence of drug-related problems (Wiedenmayer et al., 2006;Lu et al., 2011). The World Health Organization (WHO) has examined the role of pharmaceutical services and emphasized both their importance to health care and the difficulties involved in organizing such services in developing countries (World Health Organization, 1997;Wiedenmayer et al., 2006).In terms of using the analytical categories of the health service utilization model developed by Andersen and Davidson (2007), the organization of drug dispensation can be viewed as a factor that enables the use of the service and influences access and health outcomes. In Brazil, medication costs may be covered by public health L. Soares, ...