In a well-functioning medicine supply chain management system, procurement forms an integral part that needs to be closely monitored and integrated with other functions. Good procurement practices in the public health sector ensure that good quality efficacious medicines are distributed in the country in the right quantities and at reasonable costs. Pharmaceutical procurement is a major determinant of drug availability and total health costs. It is indicated that medicine expenditure represents the single largest expenditure after salaries and accounts for approximately 20 to 40% of the total healthcare budget, and up to 90% of household budgets in the Sub-Saharan region (MSH, 2012:1). Moreover, effective and efficient public sector procurement systems are essential for the achievement of millennium development goals and the promotion of sustainable development (WHO, 2011:2). The general aim of the study was to evaluate the current status of procurement and supply chain management systems in the public healthcare hospitals in Lesotho. The study set out to understand the policies, guidelines and practices governing medicine procurement in the public hospitals in Lesotho, and also to outline the impact of procurement activities on the overall operation and effectiveness of the healthcare services. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted, focusing on all levels of medicine procurement and supply management systems in all public hospitals in Lesotho. The study period stretched over nine months, from January 2014 to September 2014. The study population was inclusive of 17 public healthcare hospitals in the country and the central medical store (CMS). The findings revealed that all hospitals studied (n=17) perform the functions of selection, procurement, quantification, ordering, inventory management, distribution as well as utilisation. Although an essential medicine list (EML) and standard treatment guidelines (STGs) are available for use, public hospitals do not adhere to the use of EML and STGs for medicine procurement (n=17). Therefore, procurement is not limited to medicines on the EML, it is based on the intensity of healthcare services provided, and public hospitals often request medicines that do not occur on the EML, but are necessary to address the different diseases and public health priorities in respective facilities. According to the Ministry of Health, all public facilities are mandated to procure medicines from the CMS. Public hospitals use their allocated funds for medicine to buy from the CMS, which will, in turn, procure medicines on behalf of the government and distribute to the hospitals as per request, since procurement is pooled at a central level (MOH, 2011:62). However, it was observed that only government facilities (n=11) procure medicines from the CMS only. Facilities that are owned by the Christian health association of Lesotho (CHAL) procure medicines from other places concurrently (n=6). Moreover, CHAL hospitals (n=6) indicated that they are not fully mandated to procure medicines only from the CMS; they can also procure from other agencies based on stock-outs at the CMS, price differences and urgency of obtaining the medicines required. Therefore, procurement practices at government and CHAL hospitals are not similar. The total expenditure on medicines for government hospitals was 7 088 754.50 Maloti and 121 338 713.05 Maloti in the years 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, respectively. The total expenditure for CHAL hospitals was 2 520 590 Maloti and 3 577 360 Maloti in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, respectively. According to the findings, variance of budget and expenditure for government hospitals were 15 623 446.50 Maloti in 2010/2011 and 9 490 341.22 Maloti in 2011/2012. Variance of the budget and expenditure for CHAL Hospitals were 912 570 million Maloti in 2010/2011 and 922 640 million Maloti in 2011/2012. Most hospitals showed a variance of above 50% in 2010/2011. However, in 2011/2012, a shift pattern was observed indicating an improvement in the utilisation of funds allocated. This shift pattern may indicate a possible improvement in procurement practices, including the quantification and budgeting and commitment to procurement plans. Pharmaceutical management systems require sound policies and a legal framework that will provide a solid foundation for the systems. It is equally important that these policies and regulations are periodically updated to ensure that they address the current health situation in the country and are in line with international standards (MSH, 2012:4). However, some documents are very outdated, and therefore they do not reflect the current health situation in the country as well as procurement trends internationally, and these include national medicine policy, EML and STGs. In conclusion, the medicine procurement system in public hospitals should be strengthened and should incorporate continuous supportive supervision in order to facilitate and encourage adherence to good procurement practices, and therefore the constant availability of good quality, cost-effective essential medicines in the country. / MPharm (Pharmacy Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The overall objective of this study is to promote the human rights to health of Nigerian women to have access essential medicines, to enhance their human capabilities for human development. This thesis argues for an improvement of women’s access to medicines within the context of patent law and rights in the international IP regime of the Trade Related Aspect of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Agreement and Nigeria’s national patent system. Towards this goal, the thesis makes the point that patent law and its exclusive rights, both the TRIPS Agreement and national law of Nigeria, do not exist in a social welfare vacuum. The legal text of patent law, which confers rights on inventors when enforced, translates to many other things outside the sphere of property rights; indeed, it can be a matter of life and death. It is argued in this regard that patent right could, in effect, interfere with access to medicines and therefore, the right to health and prospects for human development. The thesis therefore argues that, in the construction, interpretation and enforcement of patent law in Nigeria, there is a need to take into consideration its impact on public health. It is against this backdrop that the research assesses the legal framework of pharmaceutical patents and the implications for women’s access to medicines, from a right to health and human development perspective. This interdisciplinary study is with a view to suggesting ways in which Nigeria’s patent system can be more human development and human rights friendly in the interest of public health, particularly, the use of the TRIPS flexibilities to enhance access to life-saving medicines in Nigeria. Since Nigeria as a member of the World Trade Organisation, is bound by its treaty obligation to adopt the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement, the thesis makes proposals for ways in which the Nigerian government and law-makers, can adapt the patent rules and the flexibilities to suit development objectives and promote public health within the benchmark allowed in TRIPS. In this respect, this thesis critically investigates the practical implications of the available flexibilities and options in the TRIPS Agreement that can be used to address the effects of patents on access to medicines. While this thesis concedes the view that the hindrances to accessibility of essential drugs in Nigeria are multi-faceted and demand a multi-dimensional approach for a lasting solution, it is specifically argued that the TRIPS flexibilities are significant means for addressing the challenges of affordable access to important health treatments within the context of patent law. However, it is emphasised that utilising the flexibilities will require that Nigeria’s patent system is strategically designed to take full advantage of the available safeguards and options. To this end, this study recommends ways to incorporate the flexibilities to enhance access to medicines in Nigeria while avoiding the technical and regulatory pitfalls that have trailed the enforcement of the flexibilities by other developing countries.

Estados e municípios puderam definir seu próprio elenco de medicamentos a ser ofertados aos seus cidadãos com a Política Nacional de Medicamentos (1998), e a consequente descentralização da Assistência Farmacêutica. Percebeu-se a oportunidade de realizar um estudo para analisar peculiaridades de um conjunto de Relações Municipais de Medicamentos Essenciais (Remumes) de municípios paulistas, visando a racionalidade das listas como instrumento norteador da aquisição, distribuição, prescrição e planejamento da AF municipal. Considerou-se as possibilidades de diferentes cenários, dependente da qualidade da gestão, organização e do perfil dos recursos humanos locais e que uma equipe farmacêutica competente e qualificada prove uma melhor gestão da AF. Além disso, considerando os impactos da transição demográfica e epidemiológica da população brasileira em que os idosos utilizam mais medicamentos, gestores e profissionais da saúde precisam selecionar medicamentos criteriosamente para atender necessidades dessa faixa etária. O emprego de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados (MPI) para idosos requer cuidado e estudos tem procurado lista-los e criar instrumentos de seleção. Aqueles inclusos nos critérios Beers definidos com apoio da Sociedade Americana de Geriatria encontram-se associados a desfechos desfavoráveis de saúde e mortalidade. OBJETIVOS: Analisar Remumes disponibilizadas para este estudo visando alertar profissionais de saúde e gestores sobre MPIs que podem comprometer a segurança dos pacientes no processo de utilização de medicamentos. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal de análise das Remumes dos municípios sedes dos 17 Departamentos Regionais de Saúde (DRSs) e das Remumes dos 27 municípios do Departamento Regional de Saúde (DRS) XIII enfatizando aqueles MPIs contidos nelas. Obtiveram-se 100% das 17 Remumes dos municípios sedes dos DRSs e 92,3% das 27 Remumes dos municípios do DRS XIII, formando um banco de dados com 9063 medicamentos, discriminados pela classificação ATC e pelos diversos critérios de Beers. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: Os municípios sedes apresentaram Remumes contendo de 128 (Piracicaba) a 396 (Santos) medicamentos, com média de 272,3 (DP=71,1) medicamentos. As Remume dos municípios da DRS XIII apresentaram entre 32 (Luiz Antônio) e 403 (Cássia dos Coqueiros) medicamentos, com média de 198 (DP=111,4). Predominaram os medicamentos que atuavam no sistema nervoso seguidos pelos cardiovasculares e anti-infecciosos sistêmicos. Quando os medicamentos contidos nas Remumes foram submetidos à aplicação dos critérios de Beers, foram identificados 59,9% de MPIs, sendo que do total de 77 classes terapêuticas 39 (53,6%) classes tinham pelo menos um representante na lista dos Critérios de Beers. Os achados foram discutidos comparando dados dos municípios, outros critérios para medicamentos inapropriados para idosos, à luz de evidências clíncas mais recentes. CONCLUSÃO: As Remumes mostraram elevada variação no número de medicamentos e grupos farmacológicos e elenco considerável de medicamentos dos critérios de Beers. Apontou para necessidade de qualificação da assistência farmacêutica municipal e a elaboração de um guia norteador que contribuam para o fortalecimento da Atenção Básica e da Assistência Farmacêutica. Este aprimoramento da utilização de medicamentos em geral e para idosos, envolvendo a prescrição, dispensação, administração e uso pelo paciente, reduzem morbimortalidade relacionada aos medicamentos. / States and municipalities were able to define their own list of medicines to be offered to their citizens with the National Drug Policy (1998) and the consequent decentralization of Pharmaceutical Assistance (PA). It was noticed the opportunity to carry out a study to analyze the peculiarities of a set of Municipal Lists of Essential Medicines (Remumes) of São Paulo state municipalities, aiming at the rationality of lists as a guiding instrument for the acquisition, distribution, prescription and planning of the municipal PA. Consideration was given to the possibilities of different scenarios, depending on the quality of management, organization and the profile of local human resources, and that a competent and qualified pharmaceutical team provides a better management of PA. In addition, considering the impact of the demographic and epidemiological transition of the Brazilian population in which the elderly use more drugs, managers and health professionals need to select medicines carefully to meet the needs of this age group. The employment of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for the elderly require care and studies have sought to list them and develop screening tools . Those included in the Beers criteria, defined with support from the American Society of Geriatrics, are associated with unfavorable health and mortality outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To analyze Remumes made available for this study in order to alert health professionals and managers about MPIs that may compromise patients\' safety in the medication use process. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of the Remumes of the municipalities of the 17 Regional Health Departments (DRSs) and of the Remumes of the 27 municipalities of the Regional Health Department (DRS) XIII emphasizing those MPIs contained in them. 100% of the 17 Remumes of the municipalities of the DRSs and 92.3% of the 27 Remumes of the municipalities of the DRS XIII were formed, forming a database with 9063 medicines, discriminated by the ATC classification and by the diverse criteria of Beers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The municipal districts presented Remumes containing from 128 (Piracicaba) to 396 (Santos) medications, with an average of 272.3 (SD = 71.1) medications. Remume of DRS XIII municipalities presented medications between 32 (Luiz Antônio) and 403 (Cássia dos Coqueiros), with a mean of 198 (SD = 111.4). Predominant drugs that worked in the nervous system followed by cardiovascular and systemic anti-infectious. When medicinal products contained in Remumes were submitted to the Beers criteria, 59.9% of PIMs were identified. Of the total of 77 therapeutic classes, 39 (53.6%) classes had at least one representative in the list of Criteria of Beers. The findings were discussed comparing data from the municipalities, other criteria for PIMs for the elderly, in light of more recent clinical evidence. CONCLUSION: Remumes showed high variation in the number of drugs and pharmacological groups and considerable list of drugs of the Beers criteria. He pointed to the need for qualification of municipal pharmaceutical assistance and the elaboration of a guiding guide that contribute to the strengthening of Primary Care and Pharmaceutical Assistance. This improvement in the utilization of medications in general and for the elderly, involving prescription, dispensing, administration and use by the patient, reduces drug-related morbidity and mortality.

The strength of health systems predict access to medicines that prevent death from pregnancy related complications (essential maternal health medicines). But little is known about the relative impact of each health system building block on access. This quantitative cross-sectional study applied Ishikawa model to examine the relative effect of health systems governance, facilities, service delivery, financing and medicine procurement and distribution (independent variables), on availability, affordability and accessibility (dependent variables) of maternal health medicines in resource poor settings. Data analyzed was pulled from 37 WHO pharmaceutical country profiles and USAID MCHIP survey that assessed national programs for the prevention and management of Postpartum hemorrhage and Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia. Data analysis included bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. All independent variables, except for quality of health services showed statistically significant association with access to maternal health medicines and achieved a p-value < .05 in bivariate analysis. Only three predictors however explained 27% of the variance (R2 =.266, F(5,162)=13.12, p<.01). The strength of medicine procurement and distribution systems significantly predicted access to essential maternal health medicines (β= -.41, p<.001), as did robustness of health system financing (β= -.51, p<.001), and quality of health facilities (β= -.34, p<.05). Authorities may prioritize investments in quality improvement, supply chain strengthening programs, and incentives for private sector financing and public-private partnerships for health system strengthening. This study contributes to positive social change by identifying key health system considerations that can inform future efforts to close geographical gaps in MCH outcomes.

Kishor Wasan’s promising oral formulation of an intravenous drug is offering the prospect of effective treatment for two unrelated infections.

Estados e municípios puderam definir seu próprio elenco de medicamentos a ser ofertados aos seus cidadãos com a Política Nacional de Medicamentos (1998), e a consequente descentralização da Assistência Farmacêutica. Percebeu-se a oportunidade de realizar um estudo para analisar peculiaridades de um conjunto de Relações Municipais de Medicamentos Essenciais (Remumes) de municípios paulistas, visando a racionalidade das listas como instrumento norteador da aquisição, distribuição, prescrição e planejamento da AF municipal. Considerou-se as possibilidades de diferentes cenários, dependente da qualidade da gestão, organização e do perfil dos recursos humanos locais e que uma equipe farmacêutica competente e qualificada prove uma melhor gestão da AF. Além disso, considerando os impactos da transição demográfica e epidemiológica da população brasileira em que os idosos utilizam mais medicamentos, gestores e profissionais da saúde precisam selecionar medicamentos criteriosamente para atender necessidades dessa faixa etária. O emprego de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados (MPI) para idosos requer cuidado e estudos tem procurado lista-los e criar instrumentos de seleção. Aqueles inclusos nos critérios Beers definidos com apoio da Sociedade Americana de Geriatria encontram-se associados a desfechos desfavoráveis de saúde e mortalidade. OBJETIVOS: Analisar Remumes disponibilizadas para este estudo visando alertar profissionais de saúde e gestores sobre MPIs que podem comprometer a segurança dos pacientes no processo de utilização de medicamentos. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal de análise das Remumes dos municípios sedes dos 17 Departamentos Regionais de Saúde (DRSs) e das Remumes dos 27 municípios do Departamento Regional de Saúde (DRS) XIII enfatizando aqueles MPIs contidos nelas. Obtiveram-se 100% das 17 Remumes dos municípios sedes dos DRSs e 92,3% das 27 Remumes dos municípios do DRS XIII, formando um banco de dados com 9063 medicamentos, discriminados pela classificação ATC e pelos diversos critérios de Beers. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: Os municípios sedes apresentaram Remumes contendo de 128 (Piracicaba) a 396 (Santos) medicamentos, com média de 272,3 (DP=71,1) medicamentos. As Remume dos municípios da DRS XIII apresentaram entre 32 (Luiz Antônio) e 403 (Cássia dos Coqueiros) medicamentos, com média de 198 (DP=111,4). Predominaram os medicamentos que atuavam no sistema nervoso seguidos pelos cardiovasculares e anti-infecciosos sistêmicos. Quando os medicamentos contidos nas Remumes foram submetidos à aplicação dos critérios de Beers, foram identificados 59,9% de MPIs, sendo que do total de 77 classes terapêuticas 39 (53,6%) classes tinham pelo menos um representante na lista dos Critérios de Beers. Os achados foram discutidos comparando dados dos municípios, outros critérios para medicamentos inapropriados para idosos, à luz de evidências clíncas mais recentes. CONCLUSÃO: As Remumes mostraram elevada variação no número de medicamentos e grupos farmacológicos e elenco considerável de medicamentos dos critérios de Beers. Apontou para necessidade de qualificação da assistência farmacêutica municipal e a elaboração de um guia norteador que contribuam para o fortalecimento da Atenção Básica e da Assistência Farmacêutica. Este aprimoramento da utilização de medicamentos em geral e para idosos, envolvendo a prescrição, dispensação, administração e uso pelo paciente, reduzem morbimortalidade relacionada aos medicamentos. / States and municipalities were able to define their own list of medicines to be offered to their citizens with the National Drug Policy (1998) and the consequent decentralization of Pharmaceutical Assistance (PA). It was noticed the opportunity to carry out a study to analyze the peculiarities of a set of Municipal Lists of Essential Medicines (Remumes) of São Paulo state municipalities, aiming at the rationality of lists as a guiding instrument for the acquisition, distribution, prescription and planning of the municipal PA. Consideration was given to the possibilities of different scenarios, depending on the quality of management, organization and the profile of local human resources, and that a competent and qualified pharmaceutical team provides a better management of PA. In addition, considering the impact of the demographic and epidemiological transition of the Brazilian population in which the elderly use more drugs, managers and health professionals need to select medicines carefully to meet the needs of this age group. The employment of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for the elderly require care and studies have sought to list them and develop screening tools . Those included in the Beers criteria, defined with support from the American Society of Geriatrics, are associated with unfavorable health and mortality outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To analyze Remumes made available for this study in order to alert health professionals and managers about MPIs that may compromise patients\' safety in the medication use process. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of the Remumes of the municipalities of the 17 Regional Health Departments (DRSs) and of the Remumes of the 27 municipalities of the Regional Health Department (DRS) XIII emphasizing those MPIs contained in them. 100% of the 17 Remumes of the municipalities of the DRSs and 92.3% of the 27 Remumes of the municipalities of the DRS XIII were formed, forming a database with 9063 medicines, discriminated by the ATC classification and by the diverse criteria of Beers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The municipal districts presented Remumes containing from 128 (Piracicaba) to 396 (Santos) medications, with an average of 272.3 (SD = 71.1) medications. Remume of DRS XIII municipalities presented medications between 32 (Luiz Antônio) and 403 (Cássia dos Coqueiros), with a mean of 198 (SD = 111.4). Predominant drugs that worked in the nervous system followed by cardiovascular and systemic anti-infectious. When medicinal products contained in Remumes were submitted to the Beers criteria, 59.9% of PIMs were identified. Of the total of 77 therapeutic classes, 39 (53.6%) classes had at least one representative in the list of Criteria of Beers. The findings were discussed comparing data from the municipalities, other criteria for PIMs for the elderly, in light of more recent clinical evidence. CONCLUSION: Remumes showed high variation in the number of drugs and pharmacological groups and considerable list of drugs of the Beers criteria. He pointed to the need for qualification of municipal pharmaceutical assistance and the elaboration of a guiding guide that contribute to the strengthening of Primary Care and Pharmaceutical Assistance. This improvement in the utilization of medications in general and for the elderly, involving prescription, dispensing, administration and use by the patient, reduces drug-related morbidity and mortality.

INTRODUÇÃO:Os medicamentos pertencentes à RENAME têm sua eficácia comprovada são embasados sob critérios técnicos e científicos, e quando prescritos assumem profunda relevância dentro do contexto da saúde pública brasileira, por facilitarem o acesso aos medicamentos.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a associação entre acesso a medicamentos e prescrição segundo a Relação Nacional de Medicamentos Essenciais (RENAME). METODOLOGIA: Foram analisadas cópias de receitas médicas obtidas da pesquisa intitulada Experiência de Acesso da População de Baixa Renda a Medicamentos e Genéricos, Município de São Paulo 2005; para as análises estatísticas, foram utilizados os programas Epi-Info 2000 e OpenEpi. RESULTADOS: A média de medicamentos com receita foi de 2,5 / desvio padrão: 1,5479; o percentual de nenhum acesso e acesso parcial ás prescrições, juntos, foi de 54por cento ; nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde foram realizadas mais da metade das prescrições analisadas; a forma farmacêutica predominante foi comprimidos; cerca de 75por cento dos medicamentos estava presente nas listas de medicamentos essenciais, nacional ou municipal; dos medicamentos prescritos, 78por cento foram obtidos e 41por cento , dos que não estavam prescritos, também foram obtidos. CONCLUSÃO: Do total de medicamentos analisados, 65por cento estavam prescritos segundo a RENAME, e desses, 78por cento , foram obtidos; as Unidades Básicas de Saúde foram responsáveis por fornecer mais da metade das receitas; a quantidade de medicamentos prescritos mostrou-se negativamente correlacionada ao percentual de acesso aos mesmos; as prescrições quando seguem a RENAME têm a chance de acesso entre 4 a 6 vezes maior de se obter os medicamentos / INTRODUCTION: The medicaments belonging to RENAME have their eficiency verified, under technical and cientific criteria and when they are prescribed they become a matter of great concern regarding the Brazilian Publich Health because they facilitate the access to medicaments. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association between access to medicaments and prescription according the National List of Essential Medicaments (RENAME). METHODOLOGY : Copies of the medical prescriptions obtained from the research called Experience in Access to medicament and Generic of Low income population, Sao Paulo Municipal Discrict, 2005,and also the Programs Epi-Info 2000 and OpenEpi because of the statistic analysis. RESULTS: The average of medicament with prescription was 2,5 / Standard Deviation: 1.5479, the percentage of no access and partial access together was 54per cent. More than a half of the analysed prescriptions were done at the Health Fundamental Units. Also, among the pharmaceutical kinds, tablets and pills were the dominant ones and around 75per cent of the medicaments were present in the lists of essential medicaments in the country and districs. Among the prescribed medicaments, 78per cent were obtained while 41per cent of the non-prescribed ones were also obtained. CONCLUSION: From a total of the analysed medicaments, 65per cent of them were prescribed observing RENAME, and 78per cent of them were obtained. The Health Fundamental Units were responsible for providing more than a half of the prescriptions. The amount of medicaments involved were negatively correlated to the number of medicaments. The prescriptions that observe RENAME have 4 to 6 times more chances to be successful when it comes to obtaining medicines

L’accès financier limité aux soins de santé a suscité l’instauration de politiques sanitaires de subvention des soins en Afrique. Au Burkina Faso, une ONG, en complémentarité avec la politique sanitaire nationale subventionne à 100% depuis septembre 2008 les soins et les médicaments pour les enfants de moins de cinq ans dans le district sanitaire de Dori. L’intervention regroupe formation du personnel soignant, supervisions et suppression de paiement des soins et des médicaments. L’objectif de l’étude est d’analyser l’effet de cette intervention sur l’adéquation des prescriptions médicales. Neuf centres de santé ont été pris en compte. Au total 14956 ordonnances d’enfants de moins de cinq ans ciblés par l’intervention ont été sélectionnées par échantillonnage systématique à partir des registres de consultation un an avant et un an après l’instauration de l’intervention. Quatorze prescripteurs ont été interviewés. Les prescriptions ont été analysées par comparaison au référentiel de l’OMS ainsi qu’au référentiel national. Le discours des prescripteurs a été analysé en vue de comprendre leur perception de leur changement de pratiques depuis de début de la subvention. L’intervention a eu pour effet de diminuer l’utilisation des injections (Rapport de cote (RC) =0,28; p<0,005) dans le cas des infections respiratoires aiguës (IRA). Elle a entraîné une diminution de l’utilisation inappropriée des antibiotiques dans les cas de paludisme seul (RC=0,48; p<0,0005). Le nombre moyen de médicaments par ordonnance a également diminué de 14% dans les cas d’IRA (p<0,0005). Les prescripteurs ont affirmé pour la plupart que leurs pratiques se sont soit maintenues soit améliorées. L’intervention a entrainé une amélioration de l’adéquation des prescriptions médicales dans certains cas. / The limited financial access to health care has encouraged the creation of health policies for subsidizing care in Africa. In Burkina Faso, an NGO, in line with the national health policy has been subsidizing care and medicines for children under five years in the health district of Dori since September 2008. The program includes training of health workers, supervision and removal of fees for health care and medication. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of this free care program on the adequacy of drugs prescriptions. Nine health centers were taken into account. A total of 14,956 prescriptions of the target group of children under five years were collected from consultation records a year before and after the introduction of free care program. In addition, fourteen prescribers were interviewed. The prescriptions were analyzed in comparison to the WHO and the national reference. The prescribers’ responses were analyzed to understand their perception of their change in practice since the introduction of the free care program. The study showed that the free care program had an effect by decreasing the use of injections (Odds Ratio (OR) =0.28, p < 0.005) in acute respiratory infections (ARI) cases. It also led to decrease in inappropriate use of antibiotics in the case of malaria (OR=0.48, p<0.0005). The average number of drugs per prescription was also found to have decreased by 14% (p<0.0005) in ARI cases. Several prescribers asserted that their practices are maintained or improved. The program leads to an improvement in the adequacy of drugs prescriptions.

INTRODUÇÃO:Os medicamentos pertencentes à RENAME têm sua eficácia comprovada são embasados sob critérios técnicos e científicos, e quando prescritos assumem profunda relevância dentro do contexto da saúde pública brasileira, por facilitarem o acesso aos medicamentos.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a associação entre acesso a medicamentos e prescrição segundo a Relação Nacional de Medicamentos Essenciais (RENAME). METODOLOGIA: Foram analisadas cópias de receitas médicas obtidas da pesquisa intitulada Experiência de Acesso da População de Baixa Renda a Medicamentos e Genéricos, Município de São Paulo 2005; para as análises estatísticas, foram utilizados os programas Epi-Info 2000 e OpenEpi. RESULTADOS: A média de medicamentos com receita foi de 2,5 / desvio padrão: 1,5479; o percentual de nenhum acesso e acesso parcial ás prescrições, juntos, foi de 54por cento ; nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde foram realizadas mais da metade das prescrições analisadas; a forma farmacêutica predominante foi comprimidos; cerca de 75por cento dos medicamentos estava presente nas listas de medicamentos essenciais, nacional ou municipal; dos medicamentos prescritos, 78por cento foram obtidos e 41por cento , dos que não estavam prescritos, também foram obtidos. CONCLUSÃO: Do total de medicamentos analisados, 65por cento estavam prescritos segundo a RENAME, e desses, 78por cento , foram obtidos; as Unidades Básicas de Saúde foram responsáveis por fornecer mais da metade das receitas; a quantidade de medicamentos prescritos mostrou-se negativamente correlacionada ao percentual de acesso aos mesmos; as prescrições quando seguem a RENAME têm a chance de acesso entre 4 a 6 vezes maior de se obter os medicamentos / INTRODUCTION: The medicaments belonging to RENAME have their eficiency verified, under technical and cientific criteria and when they are prescribed they become a matter of great concern regarding the Brazilian Publich Health because they facilitate the access to medicaments. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association between access to medicaments and prescription according the National List of Essential Medicaments (RENAME). METHODOLOGY : Copies of the medical prescriptions obtained from the research called Experience in Access to medicament and Generic of Low income population, Sao Paulo Municipal Discrict, 2005,and also the Programs Epi-Info 2000 and OpenEpi because of the statistic analysis. RESULTS: The average of medicament with prescription was 2,5 / Standard Deviation: 1.5479, the percentage of no access and partial access together was 54per cent. More than a half of the analysed prescriptions were done at the Health Fundamental Units. Also, among the pharmaceutical kinds, tablets and pills were the dominant ones and around 75per cent of the medicaments were present in the lists of essential medicaments in the country and districs. Among the prescribed medicaments, 78per cent were obtained while 41per cent of the non-prescribed ones were also obtained. CONCLUSION: From a total of the analysed medicaments, 65per cent of them were prescribed observing RENAME, and 78per cent of them were obtained. The Health Fundamental Units were responsible for providing more than a half of the prescriptions. The amount of medicaments involved were negatively correlated to the number of medicaments. The prescriptions that observe RENAME have 4 to 6 times more chances to be successful when it comes to obtaining medicines

No description available.