TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategies to improve the availability of medicines in primary health care in Brazil
T2 - Findings and implications
AU - Barbosa, Mariana M.
AU - Nascimento, Renata C.R.M.
AU - Garcia, Marina M.
AU - Acurcio, Francisco A.
AU - Godman, Brian
AU - Guerra, Augusto A.
AU - Alvares-Teodoro, Juliana
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Future Medicine Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - Aim: Access to essential medicines is a key component of managing patients in ambulatory care. In 2008, the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, created the Pharmacy Network of Minas (Rede Farmacia de Minas [RFM]) program to improve access to medicines, increasing availability and restructuring the infrastructures. The aim was to assess the current situation, comparing municipalities with and without RFM. Materials methods: Descriptive survey study, data collected from 2014 July to May 2015. Availability was verified by stock levels. Results: The drug availability index was 61.0%, higher in municipalities with RFM. Most physicians considered the pharmaceutical services as good/very good. The main reasons for medicines shortage were âfinancial transference problems', âinsufficient financial resources' and âbudget'. Conclusion: Strategies, such as the RFM can promote improvements in medicine availability.
AB - Aim: Access to essential medicines is a key component of managing patients in ambulatory care. In 2008, the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, created the Pharmacy Network of Minas (Rede Farmacia de Minas [RFM]) program to improve access to medicines, increasing availability and restructuring the infrastructures. The aim was to assess the current situation, comparing municipalities with and without RFM. Materials methods: Descriptive survey study, data collected from 2014 July to May 2015. Availability was verified by stock levels. Results: The drug availability index was 61.0%, higher in municipalities with RFM. Most physicians considered the pharmaceutical services as good/very good. The main reasons for medicines shortage were âfinancial transference problems', âinsufficient financial resources' and âbudget'. Conclusion: Strategies, such as the RFM can promote improvements in medicine availability.
KW - health policy
KW - health services research
KW - observational research
KW - pharmaceuticals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101144078&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2217/cer-2020-0125
DO - 10.2217/cer-2020-0125
M3 - Article
C2 - 33541125
AN - SCOPUS:85101144078
SN - 2042-6305
VL - 10
SP - 243
EP - 253
JO - Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
JF - Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
IS - 3
ER -
