In Canada, less than half of the drugs that the World Health Organization classifies as Essential Medicines for the treatment of Neglected Diseases like Chagas disease, drug-resistant tuberculosis, echinococcosis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, malaria and sleeping sickness are formally available, even as collectively hundreds of patients require access to them each year. Essential Medicines, according to the WHO, are those “intended to be available within the context of functioning health systems at all times in adequate amounts, in the appropriate dosage forms, with assured quality, and at a price the individual and the community can afford”. Nevertheless, many of these Essential Medicines, like the conditions they treat, are neglected by pharmaceutical companies and governments alike in low-burden, high-income countries like Canada. The result is a reversal of the usual access to medicines narrative around novel, patented medicines unavailable in low-income countries; these are old, off-patent Essential Medicines, many of which have become widely available in low and middle-income countries yet increasingly difficult to access in many high-income countries. Their absence from countries like Canada is not due to their lack of medical utility – many of them are recognized domestically as the standard of care – but their lack of commercial value. Unfortunately, Canada’s regulatory system is premised upon keeping unsafe, ineffective or poor-quality drugs out, not bringing Essential Medicines in. As a result, these drugs must be accessed through ill-fitting mechanisms like Canada’s Special Access Programme (SAP). Other high-income countries face similar access challenges, though they may manifest in different ways; in the United States for instance, drugs that have disappeared from the Canadian market or simply never been introduced in the first place have instead had de facto monopolies unscrupulously exploited. In turn, as the COVID-19 pandemic has served to underscore, access to these Essential Medicines for Neglected Diseases is an issue that cannot be solved solely at the domestic level. Essential Medicines that threaten to disappear before the diseases they treat do also serve to highlight broader issues of domestic and international concern, from drug shortages to antimicrobial resistance. This thesis provides an in-depth exploration of the problem, and offers guidance on what Canada in particular can do about improving access to medicines, especially those for Neglected Diseases that have been largely absent from the Canadian pharmaceutical agenda.

O aumento do consumo de medicamentos pela população idosa brasileira e mundial no século XXI, somado ao envelhecimento populacional e relevante transição epidemiológica, apontam para a necessidade de mais estudos epidemiológicos por serem úteis ao planejamento de intervenções em saúde no âmbito coletivo. Os Estudos de Utilização de Medicamentos representam uma importante estratégia nesse sentido, por permitir a obtenção de informações sobre padrões de prescrição e uso de medicamentos, representando, desta forma, etapa de grande importância das investigações epidemiológicas. Este estudo visa estimar a prevalência e caracterizar o perfil de utilização de medicamentos na população idosa atendida pelas farmácias básicas do município de Uberaba-MG, bem como identificar os fatores mais implicados no acesso a esses medicamentos. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, pelo qual uma amostra casual de 384 usuários de medicamentos foi entrevistada após a retirada seus medicamentos nas farmácias básicas municipais, entre março e julho de 2015, sendo utilizado um instrumento de coleta de dados, previamente padronizado e aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (CEP-FCFRP-USP). O pesquisador coletou informações sociodemográficas e relativas à saúde dos indivíduos, fotocopiou as prescrições, perguntou sobre o acesso aos medicamentos, e aplicou os testes de Batalla (TB), Med-Take (MT), Morisky-Green (MG) e o Índice da Complexidade da Farmacoterapia (ICFT). A idade média foi de 68,8 anos, sendo 70,0% do sexo feminino, renda per capita média de R$ 862,7, com predomínio de pardos (44,0%), casados (58%), com ensino fundamental incompleto (43,15%); a morbidade de maior prevalência foi a Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica (71,95%). Dos 384 participantes, 95 (24,7%) afirmaram não recorrer à farmácia básica mais próxima de sua residência e as principais justificativas foram: fácil acesso devido às linhas de ônibus (40%) e consulta na unidade (31,6%). O perfil farmacoepidemiológico apresentou um intervalo de um a dez fármacos utilizados por paciente, com média de três fármacos/paciente; a maior prevalência foi dos medicamentos do aparelho cardiovascular (40,9%); 55,5% realizam automedicação. Conhecimento satisfatório sobre a farmacoterapia foi observado em 49,7% dos participantes; os resultados dos testes TB e MG foram de 13% e 57% de aderentes à farmacoterapia, respectivamente, não havendo correlação linear entre os resultados destes testes. O valor médio do ICFT foi de 7,3, sendo que 32,8% dos participantes possuíam terapias de alta complexidade; este índice apresentou correlação linear negativa em relação ao teste MT. A polifarmácia (uso de seis ou mais princípios ativos) esteve presente em 25,5% dos idosos, a qual não apresentou associação estatística com as variáveis sexo, estado civil, idade, renda per capita e escolaridade. 570 interações medicamentosas potenciais foram verificadas, estando 47,4% dos participantes sujeitos a pelo menos uma interação; 54,7% utilizam medicamentos considerados inapropriados ao idoso. Tais evidências reforçam a necessidade da adoção de estratégias a fim de melhorar a farmacoterapia e a assistência prestada à saúde do paciente idoso. / The increased consumption of medicines by Brazilian elderly population and world in the twenty-first century, coupled with the aging population and relevant epidemiological transition point to the need for more epidemiological studies to be useful to health interventions planning in a community basis. The Drug Use Studies represent an important strategy accordingly, to allow obtaining information on patterns of prescription and use of drugs, representing thus step of great importance of epidemiological investigations. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and characterize the profile of use of drugs in the elderly population served by basic pharmacies in the city of Uberaba-MG, and identify more factors involved in access to these drugs. It was a cross-sectional study, whereby a random sample of 384 users of drugs was interviewed after that it was withdrawing its medicines on the basic pharmacies in the city, between March and July 2015, using a previously standardized and approved data collection instrument by Ethics Committee in Research of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (CEP-FCFRP-USP). The researcher collected socio-demographic and health information from individuals, photocopied the prescriptions, asked about access to medicines, and applied the tests of Batalla (TB), Med-Take (MT), Morisky-Green (MG) and the Complexity Index of the Pharmacotherapy (ICFT). The average age was 68.8 years, 70.0% female, average per capita income of R$ 862.7, with a predominance of browns (44.0%), married (58%), with education incomplete elementary (43.15%); the most prevalent morbidity was Arterial Hypertension (71,95%). Of the 384 participants, 95 (24.7%) said they did not resort to basic pharmacy closest to your residence and the main reasons were: easy access due to bus lines (40%) and in consultation Unit (31.6%). The pharmacoepidemiological profile presented a range of one to ten drugs used per patient with average of three drugs/patient; the highest prevalence was among the drugs of the cardiovascular system (40.9%); 55.5% performed self-medication. Satisfactory knowledge on pharmacotherapy was observed in 49.7% of participants; the results of the TB and MG tests were 13% and 57% adherent to the pharmacotherapy, respectively, and there was no linear correlation between the results of these tests. The mean value of ICFT was 7.3, with 32.8% of participants having high complexity; this index presented a negative linear correlation in relation to the MT test. Polypharmacy (use of six or more active principles) was present in 25.5% of the elderly, which did not present statistic association with the variables gender, marital status, age, per capita income and schooling. 570 potential drug interactions were verified, with 47.4% of participants being subject to at least one interaction; 54.7% use drugs considered inappropriate to the elderly. Such evidences reinforce the need to adopt strategies to improve pharmacotherapy and health care for elderly patients.

The impact of influenza pandemics is felt most greatly in developing states, where the close proximity between humans and disease vectors, weak public health surveillance systems, and poor sanitation make these states particularly vulnerable to influenza pandemics. A vaccine is the most effective intervention to minimise the spread and impact of influenza, and yet, developing states are the least likely to have timely access to a vaccine during a pandemic. According to 'The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights General Comment No. 14: the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health' there is a clear positive obligation for states to provide access to vaccines during an influenza pandemic, and this obligation is not waived or depleted merely because developing states have resource constraints. There has been a proliferation of literature recently which has considered access to medicines in developing states and the right-to-health. However, there has been little exploration of this issue in respect of pandemic influenza vaccines. This research explores the manner in which developing states procure influenza vaccines during a pandemic, and determines if the current international legal mechanisms which are available to developing states can be successfully used to enhance procurement, and increase the amount of vaccine developing states can access during a pandemic, to a point where they can discharge their right-to-health obligations. In doing so, I argue that the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, and the flexibilities of the TRIPS Agreement are not able to enhance the procurement of pandemic influenza vaccines by developing states, to the point where states right-to-health obligations can be said to be discharged. From this, I propose an international 'Knowledge Clearing House as a solution to the problems in procurement which are identified in this research.

In 2000, Jordan signed the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) and a free trade agreement with the US (USJFTA). Both commitments have required Jordan to comply with various obligations, including full compliance with the minimum standards for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the TRIPS Agreement and TRIPS-Plus IP standards set out under the terms of the USJFTA. Enticed by views that strong IP protection would create prosperity in the Kingdom by promoting technological innovation and inducing transfer and dissemination of technology to Jordanians, Jordan implemented the provisions of TRIPS and the USJFTA to the letter. However, Jordan focused little attention on important “TRIPS flexibilities”. In particular, Jordan has qualified parallel importation and limited the grounds of compulsory licenses. In addition, Jordan provides pharmaceutical testing data with data exclusivity. This thesis focuses on the Jordanian experience in the pharmaceutical sector. It argues that strong patent protection has not been conducive to the promotion of technological innovation and the transfer and dissemination of technology. Moreover, this protection has resulted in adverse outcomes such as increased drug prices, unavailability of essential medicines in some public hospitals for serious diseases, and a dwindling local pharmaceutical industry, in part, as a consequence of its inability to access advanced, patented technology on reasonable commercial terms. The thesis also investigates the legitimacy of establishing certain grounds of compulsory licensing by Jordan, even in light of the TRIPS-Plus obligations under the USJFTA. It advocates that such grounds contribute to the promotion of technical innovation, lead to the transfer of advanced technology, and above all improve access to affordable medicines. Finally, the thesis explores Jordan’s obligations to protect pharmaceutical testing data under TRIPS and USFTA arguing that neither of these two instruments requires data exclusivity as claimed by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and some developed countries.

In 2000, Jordan signed the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) and a free trade agreement with the US (USJFTA). Both commitments have required Jordan to comply with various obligations, including full compliance with the minimum standards for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the TRIPS Agreement and TRIPS-Plus IP standards set out under the terms of the USJFTA. Enticed by views that strong IP protection would create prosperity in the Kingdom by promoting technological innovation and inducing transfer and dissemination of technology to Jordanians, Jordan implemented the provisions of TRIPS and the USJFTA to the letter. However, Jordan focused little attention on important “TRIPS flexibilities”. In particular, Jordan has qualified parallel importation and limited the grounds of compulsory licenses. In addition, Jordan provides pharmaceutical testing data with data exclusivity. This thesis focuses on the Jordanian experience in the pharmaceutical sector. It argues that strong patent protection has not been conducive to the promotion of technological innovation and the transfer and dissemination of technology. Moreover, this protection has resulted in adverse outcomes such as increased drug prices, unavailability of essential medicines in some public hospitals for serious diseases, and a dwindling local pharmaceutical industry, in part, as a consequence of its inability to access advanced, patented technology on reasonable commercial terms. The thesis also investigates the legitimacy of establishing certain grounds of compulsory licensing by Jordan, even in light of the TRIPS-Plus obligations under the USJFTA. It advocates that such grounds contribute to the promotion of technical innovation, lead to the transfer of advanced technology, and above all improve access to affordable medicines. Finally, the thesis explores Jordan’s obligations to protect pharmaceutical testing data under TRIPS and USFTA arguing that neither of these two instruments requires data exclusivity as claimed by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and some developed countries.

This work develops a means to encourage states to take advantage of the flexibilities of compulsory licensing in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) which promotes access to medicines in a public health emergency. In pursuing this solution, the precautionary approach (PA) and the structure of risk analysis have been adopted as a means to build a workable reading of TRIPS and to help states embody the flexibilities of intellectual property (IP). This work argues for a PA reading of TRIPS and that states have the precautionary entitlements to determine an appropriate level of health protection from the perspective of “State responsibility” in international law. A philosophical review is conducted followed by the examination of existing international legal instruments including the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the WHO International Health Regulations, the Codex Alimentarius, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The PA has been found to have a pervasive influence on risk regulation in international law, yet the application is fraught with fragmentations in different legal regimes. In order to reach a harmonious interpretation and application of the PA in the WTO, the legal status of PAs of different WTO instruments have been analysed. Further, a comparative study on PAs in terms of legal status in the exemptions of the WTO and TRIPS obligations has been proposed. The political and moral basis for compulsory licencing in a public health emergency has been bolstered through the interpretation and the creation of legal status of the PA in WTO/TRIPS law.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (School of Public Health) / Access to medicines (ATM), specifically for those medicines that are related to the priority health needs of a population has been cited as a fundamental part of universal health coverage and a key element for service delivery and high-quality care. Therefore, ensuring reliable access to and appropriate use of safe, effective and affordable medicines is one of the core functions of an effective health system. With the rising demand for treatment of chronic diseases (e.g. HIV, diabetes and hypertension), ATM has increasingly received global attention. Yet as of 2011, it was estimated that at least one third of the world's population had no regular access to medicines. Globally, there is a dearth of in-depth country level evidence to influence policy responses, coupled with inadequate understanding of how pharmaceutical systems operate within broader health systems. This thesis comprises two main parts: 1) a situational analysis of the state of chronic medicines provision in the public sector in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa; and (2) an evaluation of an existing ATM model in one province. To situate this study within the ATM discourse, a conceptual framework was developed from a review of empirical and theoretical literature. The framework incorporated six ATM dimensions (availability, affordability, acceptability, accessibility, accommodation and quality) and their interplay at multiple levels including: health facility, individual, household and community levels. Then, at a health system level, the interaction of medicines (a health system building block) with other building blocks (information, financing, human resources, infrastructure and governance).

O aumento do consumo de medicamentos pela população idosa brasileira e mundial no século XXI, somado ao envelhecimento populacional e relevante transição epidemiológica, apontam para a necessidade de mais estudos epidemiológicos por serem úteis ao planejamento de intervenções em saúde no âmbito coletivo. Os Estudos de Utilização de Medicamentos representam uma importante estratégia nesse sentido, por permitir a obtenção de informações sobre padrões de prescrição e uso de medicamentos, representando, desta forma, etapa de grande importância das investigações epidemiológicas. Este estudo visa estimar a prevalência e caracterizar o perfil de utilização de medicamentos na população idosa atendida pelas farmácias básicas do município de Uberaba-MG, bem como identificar os fatores mais implicados no acesso a esses medicamentos. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, pelo qual uma amostra casual de 384 usuários de medicamentos foi entrevistada após a retirada seus medicamentos nas farmácias básicas municipais, entre março e julho de 2015, sendo utilizado um instrumento de coleta de dados, previamente padronizado e aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (CEP-FCFRP-USP). O pesquisador coletou informações sociodemográficas e relativas à saúde dos indivíduos, fotocopiou as prescrições, perguntou sobre o acesso aos medicamentos, e aplicou os testes de Batalla (TB), Med-Take (MT), Morisky-Green (MG) e o Índice da Complexidade da Farmacoterapia (ICFT). A idade média foi de 68,8 anos, sendo 70,0% do sexo feminino, renda per capita média de R$ 862,7, com predomínio de pardos (44,0%), casados (58%), com ensino fundamental incompleto (43,15%); a morbidade de maior prevalência foi a Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica (71,95%). Dos 384 participantes, 95 (24,7%) afirmaram não recorrer à farmácia básica mais próxima de sua residência e as principais justificativas foram: fácil acesso devido às linhas de ônibus (40%) e consulta na unidade (31,6%). O perfil farmacoepidemiológico apresentou um intervalo de um a dez fármacos utilizados por paciente, com média de três fármacos/paciente; a maior prevalência foi dos medicamentos do aparelho cardiovascular (40,9%); 55,5% realizam automedicação. Conhecimento satisfatório sobre a farmacoterapia foi observado em 49,7% dos participantes; os resultados dos testes TB e MG foram de 13% e 57% de aderentes à farmacoterapia, respectivamente, não havendo correlação linear entre os resultados destes testes. O valor médio do ICFT foi de 7,3, sendo que 32,8% dos participantes possuíam terapias de alta complexidade; este índice apresentou correlação linear negativa em relação ao teste MT. A polifarmácia (uso de seis ou mais princípios ativos) esteve presente em 25,5% dos idosos, a qual não apresentou associação estatística com as variáveis sexo, estado civil, idade, renda per capita e escolaridade. 570 interações medicamentosas potenciais foram verificadas, estando 47,4% dos participantes sujeitos a pelo menos uma interação; 54,7% utilizam medicamentos considerados inapropriados ao idoso. Tais evidências reforçam a necessidade da adoção de estratégias a fim de melhorar a farmacoterapia e a assistência prestada à saúde do paciente idoso. / The increased consumption of medicines by Brazilian elderly population and world in the twenty-first century, coupled with the aging population and relevant epidemiological transition point to the need for more epidemiological studies to be useful to health interventions planning in a community basis. The Drug Use Studies represent an important strategy accordingly, to allow obtaining information on patterns of prescription and use of drugs, representing thus step of great importance of epidemiological investigations. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and characterize the profile of use of drugs in the elderly population served by basic pharmacies in the city of Uberaba-MG, and identify more factors involved in access to these drugs. It was a cross-sectional study, whereby a random sample of 384 users of drugs was interviewed after that it was withdrawing its medicines on the basic pharmacies in the city, between March and July 2015, using a previously standardized and approved data collection instrument by Ethics Committee in Research of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (CEP-FCFRP-USP). The researcher collected socio-demographic and health information from individuals, photocopied the prescriptions, asked about access to medicines, and applied the tests of Batalla (TB), Med-Take (MT), Morisky-Green (MG) and the Complexity Index of the Pharmacotherapy (ICFT). The average age was 68.8 years, 70.0% female, average per capita income of R$ 862.7, with a predominance of browns (44.0%), married (58%), with education incomplete elementary (43.15%); the most prevalent morbidity was Arterial Hypertension (71,95%). Of the 384 participants, 95 (24.7%) said they did not resort to basic pharmacy closest to your residence and the main reasons were: easy access due to bus lines (40%) and in consultation Unit (31.6%). The pharmacoepidemiological profile presented a range of one to ten drugs used per patient with average of three drugs/patient; the highest prevalence was among the drugs of the cardiovascular system (40.9%); 55.5% performed self-medication. Satisfactory knowledge on pharmacotherapy was observed in 49.7% of participants; the results of the TB and MG tests were 13% and 57% adherent to the pharmacotherapy, respectively, and there was no linear correlation between the results of these tests. The mean value of ICFT was 7.3, with 32.8% of participants having high complexity; this index presented a negative linear correlation in relation to the MT test. Polypharmacy (use of six or more active principles) was present in 25.5% of the elderly, which did not present statistic association with the variables gender, marital status, age, per capita income and schooling. 570 potential drug interactions were verified, with 47.4% of participants being subject to at least one interaction; 54.7% use drugs considered inappropriate to the elderly. Such evidences reinforce the need to adopt strategies to improve pharmacotherapy and health care for elderly patients.

O aumento do consumo de medicamentos pela população idosa brasileira e mundial no século XXI, somado ao envelhecimento populacional e relevante transição epidemiológica, apontam para a necessidade de mais estudos epidemiológicos por serem úteis ao planejamento de intervenções em saúde no âmbito coletivo. Os Estudos de Utilização de Medicamentos representam uma importante estratégia nesse sentido, por permitir a obtenção de informações sobre padrões de prescrição e uso de medicamentos, representando, desta forma, etapa de grande importância das investigações epidemiológicas. Este estudo visa estimar a prevalência e caracterizar o perfil de utilização de medicamentos na população idosa atendida pelas farmácias básicas do município de Uberaba-MG, bem como identificar os fatores mais implicados no acesso a esses medicamentos. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, pelo qual uma amostra casual de 384 usuários de medicamentos foi entrevistada após a retirada seus medicamentos nas farmácias básicas municipais, entre março e julho de 2015, sendo utilizado um instrumento de coleta de dados, previamente padronizado e aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (CEP-FCFRP-USP). O pesquisador coletou informações sociodemográficas e relativas à saúde dos indivíduos, fotocopiou as prescrições, perguntou sobre o acesso aos medicamentos, e aplicou os testes de Batalla (TB), Med-Take (MT), Morisky-Green (MG) e o Índice da Complexidade da Farmacoterapia (ICFT). A idade média foi de 68,8 anos, sendo 70,0% do sexo feminino, renda per capita média de R$ 862,7, com predomínio de pardos (44,0%), casados (58%), com ensino fundamental incompleto (43,15%); a morbidade de maior prevalência foi a Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica (71,95%). Dos 384 participantes, 95 (24,7%) afirmaram não recorrer à farmácia básica mais próxima de sua residência e as principais justificativas foram: fácil acesso devido às linhas de ônibus (40%) e consulta na unidade (31,6%). O perfil farmacoepidemiológico apresentou um intervalo de um a dez fármacos utilizados por paciente, com média de três fármacos/paciente; a maior prevalência foi dos medicamentos do aparelho cardiovascular (40,9%); 55,5% realizam automedicação. Conhecimento satisfatório sobre a farmacoterapia foi observado em 49,7% dos participantes; os resultados dos testes TB e MG foram de 13% e 57% de aderentes à farmacoterapia, respectivamente, não havendo correlação linear entre os resultados destes testes. O valor médio do ICFT foi de 7,3, sendo que 32,8% dos participantes possuíam terapias de alta complexidade; este índice apresentou correlação linear negativa em relação ao teste MT. A polifarmácia (uso de seis ou mais princípios ativos) esteve presente em 25,5% dos idosos, a qual não apresentou associação estatística com as variáveis sexo, estado civil, idade, renda per capita e escolaridade. 570 interações medicamentosas potenciais foram verificadas, estando 47,4% dos participantes sujeitos a pelo menos uma interação; 54,7% utilizam medicamentos considerados inapropriados ao idoso. Tais evidências reforçam a necessidade da adoção de estratégias a fim de melhorar a farmacoterapia e a assistência prestada à saúde do paciente idoso. / The increased consumption of medicines by Brazilian elderly population and world in the twenty-first century, coupled with the aging population and relevant epidemiological transition point to the need for more epidemiological studies to be useful to health interventions planning in a community basis. The Drug Use Studies represent an important strategy accordingly, to allow obtaining information on patterns of prescription and use of drugs, representing thus step of great importance of epidemiological investigations. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and characterize the profile of use of drugs in the elderly population served by basic pharmacies in the city of Uberaba-MG, and identify more factors involved in access to these drugs. It was a cross-sectional study, whereby a random sample of 384 users of drugs was interviewed after that it was withdrawing its medicines on the basic pharmacies in the city, between March and July 2015, using a previously standardized and approved data collection instrument by Ethics Committee in Research of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (CEP-FCFRP-USP). The researcher collected socio-demographic and health information from individuals, photocopied the prescriptions, asked about access to medicines, and applied the tests of Batalla (TB), Med-Take (MT), Morisky-Green (MG) and the Complexity Index of the Pharmacotherapy (ICFT). The average age was 68.8 years, 70.0% female, average per capita income of R$ 862.7, with a predominance of browns (44.0%), married (58%), with education incomplete elementary (43.15%); the most prevalent morbidity was Arterial Hypertension (71,95%). Of the 384 participants, 95 (24.7%) said they did not resort to basic pharmacy closest to your residence and the main reasons were: easy access due to bus lines (40%) and in consultation Unit (31.6%). The pharmacoepidemiological profile presented a range of one to ten drugs used per patient with average of three drugs/patient; the highest prevalence was among the drugs of the cardiovascular system (40.9%); 55.5% performed self-medication. Satisfactory knowledge on pharmacotherapy was observed in 49.7% of participants; the results of the TB and MG tests were 13% and 57% adherent to the pharmacotherapy, respectively, and there was no linear correlation between the results of these tests. The mean value of ICFT was 7.3, with 32.8% of participants having high complexity; this index presented a negative linear correlation in relation to the MT test. Polypharmacy (use of six or more active principles) was present in 25.5% of the elderly, which did not present statistic association with the variables gender, marital status, age, per capita income and schooling. 570 potential drug interactions were verified, with 47.4% of participants being subject to at least one interaction; 54.7% use drugs considered inappropriate to the elderly. Such evidences reinforce the need to adopt strategies to improve pharmacotherapy and health care for elderly patients.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2017-04-26T18:03:07Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSERTACAO JOSÉ FERREIRA - PPGGES 2016.pdf: 635633 bytes, checksum: a3e6fada2c97b9504a39a9568764030e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-26T18:03:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSERTACAO JOSÉ FERREIRA - PPGGES 2016.pdf: 635633 bytes, checksum: a3e6fada2c97b9504a39a9568764030e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-13 / Objetivou-se analisar, em geral, os determinantes do acesso a medicamentos prescritos no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde- SUS nas regiões brasileiras, que tiveram prescrição no próprio sistema público e identificar possíveis determinantes das disparidades regionais deste acesso. Analisaram-se dados da Pesquisa Nacional de saúde – PNS em 2013. Através de métodos econométricos multivariados. A amostra foi composta por indivíduos que tiveram medicamentos receitados no SUS nas duas semanas anteriores à entrevista (n=11.910). A variável dependente foi o acesso à totalidade dos remédios receitados no sistema. Pouco menos da metade da população que teve medicamentos prescritos os obteve no próprio sistema público, número mais elevado entre os habitantes das regiões sul e sudeste, os de raça não branca, com menor escolaridade e entre aqueles que residem em domicílios cadastrados na Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF). As diferenças do acesso foram bem expressivas quando comparadas entre as regiões do Brasil. Os resultados reforçam a necessidade de políticas que diminuam as desigualdades no acesso a medicamentos no país. / This study aimed to describe the prevalence of access to medicines in the Brazilian Unified National Health System and associated factors among patients that received prescriptions in the public system. The study analyzed data from the National Health Research (2013). Through the micro processing data in STATA 12 program, using the logistic regression method. The sample consisted of individuals with prescription written in the National Health System in the two weeks prior to the interview (n = 11.910). The dependent variable was the access to all the prescribed medicines inside the system itself. Slightly fewer half of the sample with prescriptions received the medicines in public health system; the proportions were higher in the South of Brazil, among black patients, those with less schooling and lower income and those registered in the Family Health Strategy. Differences access was very expressive when compared in the regions of Brazil. As evidenced by the Fairlie technique. The results emphasize the need for public policies to decrease inequalities in access to medicines and strengthen the actions of pharmaceutical care in Brazil.