Desigualdades socioeconômicas no acesso a medicamentos: análise da prevalência de acesso a medicamentos de uso contínuo entre mulheres no Brasil

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the population access to medicines by evaluating the prevalence of access to continuous prescription drugs for a group of chronic diseases and investigating the existence of socioeconomic inequalities in access. We used data from the National Demographic and Health Survey (2006), with a sample of 15,575 women aged 15 to 49, representing all the regions of Brazil from urban and rural contexts. The dependent variable was constructed from the section on access to medicines PNDS 2006, based on the diagnosis of chronic disease and the need to obtain medication for treatment. Five groups of independent variables were used for the analyzes: geographic, demographic, socioeconomic, organizational and health. Multivariate analysis was conducted using a Poisson regression model. The prevalence of full access to medicines was 87.4%. The groups with higher prevalence of access were the ones domiciled in a rural area, with only one or two chronic diseases, and those of higher socioeconomic status. In the analysis of access to medicines per chronic disease associated factors differ according to the type of disease, and socioeconomic variables are directly related to increased access. Most individuals obtained the medicines they needed from SUS or commercial pharmacies, and the poorest individuals obtained most of their medicines from SUS, while the richest obtained most of their medicines from commercial pharmacies. The most common reasons for lack of access to medicines related to their inexistence at SUS and lack of money. The prevalence was high and conforms to the patterns observed in the country. However, the analysis shows that there is still a small socioeconomic inequality in access to medicines in favor of the wealthy, identified as the most vulnerable group the poorest and with a greater number of chronic diseases individuals.