Technical issues and conservation conditions of medicines in the primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System

MedMinas project: design and use of mixed methods in the evaluation of pharmaceutical services in primary health care in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Background

The main purposes of primary care-based pharmaceutical services (PHCPS) in Brazil are to provide free access to medicines and pharmaceutical care to patients. Several obstacles hinder achieving their goals; thus, MedMinas Project aimed to evaluate the PHCPS, the supply system, and the use of medicines. This paper reflects on our experience designing, planning, and conducting the project, describing the issues yielded in the field and lessons learned.

Methods

This work consists of a mixed-methods study conducted in Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. We adopted the principles of Rapid Evaluation Methods, employing a multistage stratified sampling for the quantitative and a purposeful sampling for the qualitative components, respectively, and a documentary research. Data sources included individuals (patients and professionals), prescriptions, dispensed medicines, and policy documents collected between April and October 2019. The quantitative data described in this paper were analysed by descriptive statistics and the qualitative by Thematic Content Analysis.

Results

A total of 26 municipalities varying from 37,784 to 409,341 inhabitants were included. The field team spent, on average, 16 days in each location. We interviewed 1019 respondents, of which 127 were professionals and 892 patients. The participation rate varied from 92 to 100%, depending on the respondent subgroup. Most interviews lasted between 45 min and one hour. Fieldwork challenges included participants’ enrolment, field team, interview processes, and project budget. The participants provided positive feedback and five main themes emerged from the interview experience (self-awareness, sense of gratitude, research value, access to findings, and benefits of the research). Additionally, we collected copies of 1072 documents and 2070 pieces of data from prescriptions filled and medicines dispensed at the PCP.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the viability of conducting the MedMinas Project in an extensive geographic area within effective time frames that provided meaningful, high-quality data from multiple actors. The methods and lessons learned are valuable for researchers across various disciplines in similar urban settings in Brazil and other countries of low- and middle-income (LMIC).

Strategies to Approach Medicines Litigation: An Action Research Study in Brazil

Background: In the last decades, litigation has been increasingly used to access medicines in Brazil. This phenomenon has led to the development of diverse strategies to reduce its negative impact on the organization of pharmaceutical services. In spite of that, managers still face difficulties dealing with lawsuits.

Objective: This study aims to report the planning and implementation of strategies to approach medicines litigation in a municipality located in the southeast region of Brazil.

Methods: Mixed methods were employed through an action research cycle. A network coordination team included researchers from university and municipal managers. The scenario analysis comprised the characterization of pharmaceutical services and the profile of medicines lawsuits. Afterward, strategies were planned to deal with the central problem identified. The action plan involved educational outreach visits and distribution of printed materials for health professionals, evaluated through opinion survey. Group conversations were conducted with the users of the public health system, followed by thematic analysis of reports.

Results: The characterization of pharmaceutical services in the municipality revealed that treatments supplied were in accordance with the National Medicines Policy. In addition, a sector was implemented to attend demands for non-incorporated medicines. In spite of the services available, the characterization of lawsuits indicated that the main claimants were users of the public health system, requiring non-incorporated medicines, with therapeutic alternatives available. Thus, educational outreach visits were held in 14 health units (23 physicians in total). Everyone who answered the evaluation declared that they were very satisfied with the approach. Group conversations with the users of the health system reached 227 participants in total. In regard to users’ perception about pharmaceutical services, thematic analysis of reports identified three main categories including aspects related to medicines provided, users assisted, and quality of service.

Conclusion: The study described the first cycle of an action research project to develop strategies to approach medicines litigation at the municipal level. The application of educational outreach visits for health professionals and group conversations with health system users is a promising approach to improve access to information about pharmaceutical services in Brazil.

Strategies Implemented by Public Institutions to Approach the Judicialization of Health Care in Brazil: A Systematic Scoping Review

Background

The judicialization of health care is a social claim concerning the right to the access to health care. It usually occurs due to gaps in public policy or failures in its application. In Brazil, several public institutions have implemented strategies to approach this phenomenon. However, these strategies have not yet been systematized into functional categories.

Objective

To categorize and analyze the strategies implemented by public institutions in Brazil to approach the judicialization of health care.

Method

A systematic scoping review was developed following the method proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The descriptor ‘judicialization of health’ was used to conduct the searches for studies in 18 electronic databases and other types of documents in the gray literature until March 2019. Documents containing the reports of strategies implemented in public institutions to approach the judicialization of health care in Brazil were included. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of the documents and extracted the data. The strategies identified were categorized using definitions from the World Health Organization and existing Brazilian legislation.

Results

Seventy eight implemented strategies were identified and organized into nine categories: i. Technical support to the judiciary; ii. State health committees; iii. Organization of assistance; iv. Compliance with court orders, v. Computerized information systems; vi. Administrative proceeding; vii. Defense of the public authority; viii. Pharmacy and therapeutics committee; ix. Alternative dispute resolution. These categories are not mutually exclusive and often act in concert or complement each other’s activities. They represent services either existing or provided for in legal provisions by the public administration to meet various types of demands.

Conclusions

The categories proposed to approach the judicialization of health care represent some of the recommendations for qualifying public administration or are provided for in Brazilian legislation, or both. The existence of recommendations and legislation facilitate, but do not guarantee, the implementation of strategies by public institutions.

Qualidade do cuidado: Avaliação da disponibilidade de insumos, imunobiológicos e medicamentos na Atenção Básica em município de Minas Gerais, Brasil

Objetivo: Avaliar a Atenção Básica quanto aos insumos, imunobiológicos e medicamentos disponibilizados nos serviços de saúde da família de município de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Métodos: Trata-se de pesquisa transversal, analítica, conduzida em 2014, a partir de instrumento ministerial intitulado Autoavaliação para Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica, de equipes de saúde da família. Oito itens foram considerados, com valores entre zero a 10 pontos, da total inadequação à total adequação da Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS), ao item avaliado. Classificaram-se as unidades em padrões de qualidade “muito insatisfatório” a “muito satisfatório” e analisou-se conforme localização rural e urbana, nível de significância p<0,05. Resultados: Participaram 75 equipes, que apresentaram expressiva inadequação nos itens: UBS dispor todas as vacinas exigidas no calendário básico, 5,95 (±4,003); possuir insumos e medicamentos para abordagem inicial de urgência/emergência, 2,33 (±2,500); apresentar os medicamentos básicos com regularidade, 3,68 (±3,146). A classificação foi regular para 45,3% das unidades e insatisfatória para 29,3%, sem diferenças quanto à localização urbana ou rural (p=0,479). Conclusão: Evidenciou-se avaliação insatisfatória, com inadequações relativas às vacinas, à abordagem inicial nas situações de urgência e emergência e à disponibilidade dos medicamentos. Tal situação prejudica o elenco de ações e a resolutividade dos serviços, afetando a capacidade da equipe para atender, efetivamente, as demandas de saúde da população