Sources of medicines for hypertension and diabetes in Brazil: telephone survey results from brazilian state capitals and the Federal District, 2011

Analisar as diferenças entre diabéticos e hipertensos em relação ao tratamento medicamentoso e suas fontes de obtenção. Trata-se de estudo transversal com dados do VIGITEL, realizado em 2011 nas capitais brasileiras. Cerca de 72% dos 15.027 hipertensos e 78,2% dos 4.083 diabéticos estavam em tratamento medicamentoso; 45,8% dos hipertensos obtiveram medicamento nas unidades de saúde públicas, 15,9% no Farmácia Popular e 38,3% em drogarias/farmácias e outras fontes. Entre os diabéticos, encontrou-se 54,4%; 16,2%; e 29,4%, respectivamente. Nas unidades de saúde os percentuais foram mais elevados entre os menos escolarizados, cor de pele preta ou parda e sem plano privado de saúde, e as prevalências de obtenção na Farmácia Popular, drogarias/farmácias e outras fontes foram mais elevadas entre os mais escolarizados, cor de pele branca e com plano privado. O acesso às diferentes fontes de medicamentos apresentou disparidades entre as regiões e capitais brasileiras e entre os segmentos sociais da população322113This study aimed to analyze differences between patients with diabetes and hypertension in drug treatment and their sources for obtaining medication. This was a cross-sectional study with data from the VIGITEL telephone survey in 2011 in Brazil’s state capitals and Federal District. Some 72% of the 15,027 hypertensive patients and 78.2% of the 4,083 diabetics were on medication; 45.8% of the hypertensive patients obtained their medications from public health units, 15.9% from the Popular Pharmacy program, and 38.3% from drugstores, pharmacies, and other sources. The rates among diabetics were 54.4%, 16.2%, and 29.4%, respectively. In the public health units the percentages were highest among individuals with less schooling, black or brown skin, and without private health plans, while the percentages in the Popular Pharmacy program and drugstores/pharmacies and other sources were higher among individuals with more schooling, white skin, and private health plans. Access to different sources of medicines showed disparities between Brazil’s regions and state capitals and between social segments of the populatio