Regional disparities in access to medicines in Brazil: an empirical analysis

Abstract

The objective was to analyze, in general, the determinants of access to prescribed medicines within the scope of the Unified Health System in Brazilian regions, which were prescribed in the public system itself, and to identify possible determinants of regional disparities in this access. Data from the National Health Survey in 2013 were analyzed using multivariate econometric methods. The sample consisted of individuals who had medication prescribed in the Unified Health System in the two weeks prior to the interview (n=11.910). The dependent variable was access to all medicines prescribed in the system. A little less than half of the population who had prescribed medications obtained them in the public system, which is higher among the inhabitants of the South and Southeast regions, those of non-white race, with less schooling and among those residing in households registered in the Health Strategy. of the Family. Differences in access were quite expressive when compared between regions in Brazil. The results reinforce the need for policies that reduce inequalities in access to medicines in the country.