Report of pharmaceutical activities in a municipality in Bahia in the supply of medicines not selected by SUS

Abstract

Introduction: Requests for drugs not selected by SUS are even more frequents. The provision of these drugs, some without sufficient scientific evidence and, mostly, with high cost, raises questions about the effectiveness of the right to individual and collective health. Objective: To demonstrate the benefits of creating, within the scope of Municipal Pharmaceutical Assistance, a sector to meet, through administrative means, the demands of drug suppliers not selected by SUS, and the institution of medical technical evaluation for their supply. Method: Case study based on the analysis of data collected in administrative processes under the Programa de Medicamentos Excepcionais (Exceptional Medicines Program), in the municipality of Camaçari, Bahia, Northeast region of Brazil. Results and discussion: The establishment of technical criteria for the supply of not selected drugs, including pharmaceutical evaluation, led to a 48.2% decrease in the number of patients registered in the Exceptional Medicines Program and a reduction in correspondents expenses, with no increase in judicialization. Conclusion: The institution of a service to handle, through administrative means, the demands of medicines not selected, including the technical evaluation of the pharmacist, contributed to a more effective, efficient and fair application of public resources.