Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Access to medicines is an important indicator of healthcare system quality and capacity to resolve problems. The healthcare system needs to ensure free access to medicines for elderly people, in order to provide greater effectiveness of disease control, thus reducing morbidity...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Associação Paulista de Medicina
2020-06-01
|
| Series: | São Paulo Medical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802020000300235&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1798019407204581376 |
|---|---|
| author | Isabela Vaz Leite Pinto Marina Guimarães Lima Laís Lessa Neiva Pantuzza Maria das Graças Braga Ceccato Micheline Rosa Silveira Adriano Max Moreira Reis |
| author_facet | Isabela Vaz Leite Pinto Marina Guimarães Lima Laís Lessa Neiva Pantuzza Maria das Graças Braga Ceccato Micheline Rosa Silveira Adriano Max Moreira Reis |
| author_sort | Isabela Vaz Leite Pinto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Access to medicines is an important indicator of healthcare system quality and capacity to resolve problems. The healthcare system needs to ensure free access to medicines for elderly people, in order to provide greater effectiveness of disease control, thus reducing morbidity and mortality, and improving health and quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the frequency of free access to medication among older adults within primary care and determine the factors associated with free access. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at two primary care units. METHODS: Free access was defined as provision of all medicines through pharmacies within the Brazilian National Health System and through the Brazilian program for free medicines in private pharmacies. We investigated the sociodemographic, clinical, functional and pharmacotherapeutic characteristics of older adults. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with free access to medicines. RESULTS: This study included 227 older adults, among whom 91 (40.1%) had free full access to prescription drugs. A direct association with age ≤ 70 years and indirect associations with polypharmacy and multimorbidity (P < 0.05) were found. CONCLUSIONS: Age ≤ 70 years increases the likelihood of having free full access to medicines, and older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy use have a lower likelihood of access. Identification of factors associated with free access to medicines among elderly people provides elements to guide the Brazilian National Health System in implementing access improvement actions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:40:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e3dc4d7a7bf42be83168ac78eee7c81 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1806-9460 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:40:07Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Associação Paulista de Medicina |
| record_format | Article |
| series | São Paulo Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e3dc4d7a7bf42be83168ac78eee7c812022-12-22T04:13:41ZengAssociação Paulista de MedicinaSão Paulo Medical Journal1806-94602020-06-01138323524310.1590/1516-3180.2019.0541.r1.19022020Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional studyIsabela Vaz Leite Pintohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6335-5480Marina Guimarães Limahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0959-3079Laís Lessa Neiva Pantuzzahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9831-8807Maria das Graças Braga Ceccatohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4340-0659Micheline Rosa Silveirahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7002-4428Adriano Max Moreira Reishttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0017-7338ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Access to medicines is an important indicator of healthcare system quality and capacity to resolve problems. The healthcare system needs to ensure free access to medicines for elderly people, in order to provide greater effectiveness of disease control, thus reducing morbidity and mortality, and improving health and quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the frequency of free access to medication among older adults within primary care and determine the factors associated with free access. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at two primary care units. METHODS: Free access was defined as provision of all medicines through pharmacies within the Brazilian National Health System and through the Brazilian program for free medicines in private pharmacies. We investigated the sociodemographic, clinical, functional and pharmacotherapeutic characteristics of older adults. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with free access to medicines. RESULTS: This study included 227 older adults, among whom 91 (40.1%) had free full access to prescription drugs. A direct association with age ≤ 70 years and indirect associations with polypharmacy and multimorbidity (P < 0.05) were found. CONCLUSIONS: Age ≤ 70 years increases the likelihood of having free full access to medicines, and older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy use have a lower likelihood of access. Identification of factors associated with free access to medicines among elderly people provides elements to guide the Brazilian National Health System in implementing access improvement actions.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802020000300235&tlng=enAgedPrimary health carePublic healthPharmaceutical preparationsPharmaceutical servicesElderlyMedicinesAccess to medicine |
| spellingShingle | Isabela Vaz Leite Pinto Marina Guimarães Lima Laís Lessa Neiva Pantuzza Maria das Graças Braga Ceccato Micheline Rosa Silveira Adriano Max Moreira Reis Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study São Paulo Medical Journal Aged Primary health care Public health Pharmaceutical preparations Pharmaceutical services Elderly Medicines Access to medicine |
| title | Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Free access to medicines among older adults in primary care: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | free access to medicines among older adults in primary care a cross sectional study |
| topic | Aged Primary health care Public health Pharmaceutical preparations Pharmaceutical services Elderly Medicines Access to medicine |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802020000300235&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT isabelavazleitepinto freeaccesstomedicinesamongolderadultsinprimarycareacrosssectionalstudy AT marinaguimaraeslima freeaccesstomedicinesamongolderadultsinprimarycareacrosssectionalstudy AT laislessaneivapantuzza freeaccesstomedicinesamongolderadultsinprimarycareacrosssectionalstudy AT mariadasgracasbragaceccato freeaccesstomedicinesamongolderadultsinprimarycareacrosssectionalstudy AT michelinerosasilveira freeaccesstomedicinesamongolderadultsinprimarycareacrosssectionalstudy AT adrianomaxmoreirareis freeaccesstomedicinesamongolderadultsinprimarycareacrosssectionalstudy |