Comorbidities and in-hospital death of viral pneumonia adults admitted to SUS (2002-2015).

OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic and clinical characteristics of adult patients hospitalized in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) due to viral pneumonia and investigate the association between some comorbidities and death during hospitalization. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted with secondary data of adults admitted to SUS due to viral pneumonia between 2002 and 2015. Patient profile was characterized based on demographic and clinical variables. The association between the ten Elixhauser comorbidities and in-hospital death was investigated using Poisson regression models with robust standard errors. Results were quantified as incidence rate ratio (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and we built five models using successive inclusion of variables blocks. RESULTS: Hospital admissions for viral pneumonias decreased throughout the study period, and it was observed that 5.8% of hospitalized patients had an in-hospital death. We observed significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics by comparing individuals who died during hospitalization with those who did not, with the occurrence of one or more comorbidities being more expressive among patients who died. Although not considered risk factors for in-hospital death, chronic pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure were the most common comorbidities. Conversely, IRR for in-hospital death increased with other neurological disorders, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and especially with HIV/AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals presenting with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases require proper attention during hospitalization, as well as those with other neurological diseases, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and especially HIV/AIDS. Understanding the influence of chronic diseases on viral infections may support the healthcare system in achieving better outcomes.

Prostate Cancer Survival and Mortality according to a 13-year retrospective cohort study in Brazil: Competing-Risk Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality (OCM) among patients with prostate cancer that initiated treatment in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), between 2002 and 2010, in Brazil. METHODS: Retrospective observational study that used the National Oncological Database, which was developed by record-linkage techniques used to integrate data from SUS Information Systems, namely: Outpatient (SIA-SUS), Hospital (SIH-SUS), and Mortality (SIM-SUS). Cancer-specific and other-cause survival probabilities were estimated by the time elapsed between the date of the first treatment until the patients' deaths or the end of the study, from 2002 until 2015. The Fine-Gray model for competing risk was used to estimate factors associated with patients' risk of death. RESULTS: Of the 112,856 studied patients, the average age was 70.5 years, 21% died due to prostate cancer, and 25% due to other causes. Specific survival in 160 months was 75%, and other-cause survival was 67%. For CSM, the main factors associated with patients' risk of death were: stage IV (AHR = 2.91; 95%CI 2.73 - 3.11), systemic treatment (AHR = 2.10; 95%CI 2.00 - 2.22), and combined surgery (AHR = 2.30, 95%CI 2.18 - 2.42). As for OCM, the main factors associated with patients' risk of death were age and comorbidities. CONCLUSION: The analyzed patients with prostate cancer were older and died mainly from other causes, probably due to the presence of comorbidities associated with the tumor.

Real-world effectiveness of olanzapine and risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia in Brazil over a 16-year follow-up period; findings and implications.

Introduction: Antipsychotics are widely prescribed for patients with schizophrenia. The Brazilian public health system provides these patients free of charge to patients and it is pertinent to evaluate their benefits.Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of olanzapine and risperidone in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia in the real-world and assessing risk factors for their discontinuation through a national non-concurrent cohort with 16 years of follow-up.Methods: Three SUS administrative databases were integrated by deterministic-probabilistic linkage. After patients were matched (1:1) for psychiatric hospitalization, year of receiving the antipsychotic, sex, and age, considering either olanzapine or risperidone at study entry. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate the cumulative probabilities of discontinuation of treatment and associated factors were identified. Sensitivity analyses were performed.Results: 3416 pairs of patients were included. Olanzapine had a longer time until discontinuation of treatment (p = 0.021), and risperidone had a higher risk of discontinuation (p = 0.021). Among patients persistent for at least 24 months, there was no statistically significant difference.Conclusion: Olanzapine demonstrated superior real-world effectiveness over risperidone, in terms of survival and psychiatric hospitalization. This superiority was not sustained in all analyses.

Comorbidities and in-hospital death of viral pneumonia adults admitted to SUS (2002-2015)

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To identify demographic and clinical characteristics of adult patients hospitalized in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) due to viral pneumonia and investigate the association between some comorbidities and death during hospitalization. METHODS This retrospective cohort study was conducted with secondary data of adults admitted to SUS due to viral pneumonia between 2002 and 2015. Patient profile was characterized based on demographic and clinical variables. The association between the ten Elixhauser comorbidities and in-hospital death was investigated using Poisson regression models with robust standard errors. Results were quantified as incidence rate ratio (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and we built five models using successive inclusion of variables blocks. RESULTS Hospital admissions for viral pneumonias decreased throughout the study period, and it was observed that 5.8% of hospitalized patients had an in-hospital death. We observed significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics by comparing individuals who died during hospitalization with those who did not, with the occurrence of one or more comorbidities being more expressive among patients who died. Although not considered risk factors for in-hospital death, chronic pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure were the most common comorbidities. Conversely, IRR for in-hospital death increased with other neurological disorders, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and especially with HIV/AIDS. CONCLUSIONS Individuals presenting with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases require proper attention during hospitalization, as well as those with other neurological diseases, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and especially HIV/AIDS. Understanding the influence of chronic diseases on viral infections may support the healthcare system in achieving better outcomes.

Integrative Review of Managed Entry Agreements: Chances and Limitations.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Managed entry agreements (MEAs) consist of a set of instruments to reduce the uncertainty and the budget impact of new high-priced medicines; however, there are concerns. There is a need to critically appraise MEAs with their planned introduction in Brazil. Accordingly, the objective of this article is to identify and appraise key attributes and concerns with MEAs among payers and their advisers, with the findings providing critical considerations for Brazil and other high- and middle-income countries. METHODS: An integrative review approach was adopted. This involved a review of MEAs across countries. The review question was 'What are the health technology MEAs that have been applied around the world?' This review was supplemented with studies not retrieved in the search known to the senior-level co-authors including key South American markets. It also involved senior-level decision makers and advisers providing guidance on the potential advantages and disadvantages of MEAs and ways forward. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were included in the review. Most MEAs included medicines (96.8%), focused on financial arrangements (43%) and included mostly antineoplastic medicines. Most countries kept key information confidential including discounts or had not published such data. Few details were found in the literature regarding South America. Our findings and inputs resulted in both advantages including reimbursement and disadvantages including concerns with data collection for outcome-based schemes. CONCLUSIONS: We are likely to see a growth in MEAs with the continual launch of new high-priced and often complex treatments, coupled with increasing demands on resources. Whilst outcome-based MEAs could be an important tool to improve access to new innovative medicines, there are critical issues to address. Comparing knowledge, experiences, and practices across countries is crucial to guide high- and middle-income countries when designing their future MEAs.

Comparative persistence of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in ankylosing spondylitis patients: a multicenter international study.

Objective: To evaluate persistence on conventional DMARDs (cDMARDs) and anti-TNF therapies, and to identify potential determinants of discontinuation among individuals with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) living in Brazil and Quebec, Canada.Methods: We conducted a cohort study of AS patients using health administrative data (2010-2015). One-year and 2-year persistence rates were assessed. Cox regression was used to identify potential determinants of therapy discontinuation.Results: One-year persistence was less likely in Brazil for both anti-TNF and cDMARDs (Brazil: 62.1 and 30.7%, Quebec: 66.9 and 67.0%). The 2-year persistence rates were lower for both anti-TNF and cDMARD, but remained higher in Quebec (Brazil: 47.9 and 18.1%, Quebec: 51.5 and 53.5%). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, age, sex and comorbidities were associated with persistence in both countries. In Quebec, persistence did not differ between rural and urban regions or with socioeconomic status. While in Brazil, patients in regions with higher Human Development Index and those in cities with lower Gini index were less likely to discontinue therapy.Conclusions: Canadian AS patients were more likely to persist on therapy compared to Brazilian patients, although rates were lower at 2 years in both countries. Socioeconomic disparity in persistence was found in Brazil, but not in Quebec.

Uso de medicamentos por adultos na atenção primária: inquérito em serviços de saúde de Minas Gerais, Brasil / Use of medicines by adults in primary care: Survey on health services in Minas Gerais, Brazil

RESUMO: Introdução: O uso inadequado e o crescimento dos gastos em saúde reforçam a necessidade de ampliar o conhecimento sobre a qualidade de uso de medicamentos. Objetivos: Descrever e avaliar o perfil de utilização de medicamentos em uma amostra representativa de usuários adultos da atenção primária do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) de Minas Gerais. Método: Estudo transversal, com 1.159 entrevistados em 104 municípios e 253 serviços de saúde. Foram coletados dados sobre características sociodemográficas, condições de saúde e uso de medicamentos, sendo essas características estratificadas por faixas etárias. Análises univariada e multivariada, por meio de regressão logística, foram conduzidas para identificar preditores de automedicação. Para todos os testes, foi adotado o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: A prevalência de uso de medicamentos foi de 81,8%, com média de 2,67 medicamentos por usuário, que aumenta com a faixa etária. Os medicamentos mais utilizados foram losartana, hidroclorotiazida e sinvastatina, com diferenças entre as faixas etárias. Observou-se automedicação significativa não só em adultos jovens, mas também entre idosos. Os preditores de automedicação foram: ser adulto jovem, ter maior nível de escolaridade, não apresentar doenças crônicas, ter pior autopercepção de saúde e não aderir a medicamentos prescritos. Adultos jovens e idosos apresentaram características que os tornaram mais vulneráveis em relação ao uso racional de medicamentos. Conclusão: O estudo pode contribuir para melhorar o cuidado na atenção primária, pois identificou problemas relevantes relacionados à qualidade do uso de medicamentos, especialmente entre adultos jovens e idosos em Minas Gerais.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Inappropriate use and increase of health care spending reinforce the need to extend our knowledge about the quality of medication use. Objectives: To describe and evaluate the profile of medication use in a representative sample of adult users of primary care services in the Unified Health System (SUS) of Minas Gerais. Method: Cross-sectional study, with 1,159 interviewees in 104 municipalities and 253 health care services. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions and use of medicines were collected, and these variables were stratified by age group. Univariate and multivariate analyses, using logistic regression, were conducted to identify predictors of self-medication. We set a significance level of 5% for all tests. Results: The prevalence of medication use was 81.8%, with an average of 2.67 medicines per user, which increased with age. The most used drugs were losartan, hydrochlorothiazide and simvastatin, which differed between age groups. Significant self-medication was observed not only in young adults but also in the elderly. The predictors of self-medication were: being a young adult, having a higher level of education, not having chronic diseases, having worse self-perception of health and not adhering to prescription drugs. Young and elderly adults showed characteristics that made them more vulnerable in relation to the rational use of medicines. Conclusion: This study can contribute to improving primary care, where it identified problems related to the extent of medication use, especially among young adults and the elderly in Minas Gerais.

Biological therapy in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis: economic and epidemiological considerations.

Background: Biological therapies have a significant economic and clinical burden but, in general, lose their effectiveness over time. This study evaluated the medication persistence and costs associated to use of anti-TNF agents for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment. Methods: A historical cohort composed of individuals in Brazil with PsA diagnosis was developed during the period between 2010 and 2015. The difference among the anti-TNF agents was verified by the log-rank test. The predictors of medication non-persistence were identified by Cox regression. The costs were compared by variance analysis with Bonferroni correction. Results: 11,008 patients were analyzed. Adalimumab (51%) was the most used anti-TNF agent. Individuals using adalimumab presented higher medication persistence as compared to etanercept and infliximab. The costs with anti-TNF agents corresponded to 90% of the total costs and were similar among anti-TNF agents. The non-persistence predictors were female sex, younger patients, to live in the Northeastern and Northern regions of Brazil, to use infliximab and etanercept, and have more comorbidities. Conclusion: The direct costs with anti-TNF agents were the main component of total costs. Outpatient and inpatient costs increase when medication persistence decreases. A considerable price reduction of anti-TNF agents has been observed over the years.

First line of biological drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: a medication persistence analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the persistence of biological drugs used as the first line of biological treatment in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The predictors associated with persistence have also been verified. METHODS: We evaluated a historical cohort composed of users of the Brazilian National Health System in the period between 2006 January and 2014 December. The endpoint was the medication persistence at 12 months. RESULTS: A population composed of 66,787 individuals started the first line of biological drug. Out of such individuals, 34,595 (51.80%) persisted in the treatment at 12 months. Abatacept was the drug that presented higher persistence, followed by golimumab, tocilizumab, etanercept, and adalimumab and, with lower persistence certolizumab and infliximab. Younger individuals, living in regions with higher social inequality by Gini coefficient, using certolizumab and infliximab in comparison with adalimumab presented a higher risk of non-persistence to treatment. Individuals from the Southeastern region were more persistent than Northeastern, Central-western, Northern and Southern regions. CONCLUSION: The medication persistence was different between biological drugs. The rigorous follow-up of patients, by a multidisciplinary team, is important to enable the development of strategies for the adequate use of such drugs.

Economic and epidemiological impact of dengue illness over 16 years from a public health system perspective in Brazil to inform future health policies including the adoption of a dengue vaccine.

INTRODUCTION: Dengue is a serious global health problem endemic in Brazil. Consequently, our aim was to measure the costs and disease burden of symptomatic dengue infections in Brazil from the perspective of the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) between 2000 and 2015, using Brazilian public health system databases. Specific age group incidence estimates were used to calculate the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to gain a better understanding of the disease burden. Areas covered: SUS spent almost USD159 million and USD10 million to treat dengue and severe dengue, respectively, between 2000 and 2015. This is principally hospitalization costs, with the majority of patients self-treated at home with minor symptoms. The average notification rate for dengue was 273 per 100,000 inhabitants and three per 100,000 for severe dengue, with annual DALYs estimates ranging between 72.35 and 6,824.45 during the 16 years. Expert commentary: The epidemiological and morbidity burden associated with dengue is substantial in Brazil, with costs affected by the fact that most patients self-treat at home with these costs not included in SUS. The Brazilian government urgently needs to proactively evaluate the real costs and clinical benefits of any potential dengue vaccination program by the National Immunization Program to guide future decision-making.

[Profile of spending on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis for patients of the Unified Health System in the state of Minas Gerais - 2008-2013]. / Perfil de gastos com o tratamento da Artrite Reumatoide para pacientes do Sistema Único de Saúde em Minas Gerais, Brasil, de 2008 a 2013.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition that affects about 1% of the adult population. In a historical cohort of Minas Gerais State, 11,573 RA patients registered in the Outpatient Information System (SIA) between 2008 and 2013 were identified. For this study we adopted the public funding body's perspective and the values were adjusted by the national inflation index (IPCA) of December 2015. Etanercept was the most expensive treatment. The mean cohort age was 52 years old and most of the patients were women. Multiple regression analysis indicated a negative association between higher expenditure and age, female sex, and diagnosis at entry in the cohort and positive association between high expenditure and the Human Development Index (HDI) of the municipality and use of tumor necrosis factor agents. This study identified the factors that have an impact on RA drug treatment expenditure. Also, we showed that methods that enable extracting demographic and expenditure data of administrative information systems may represent important tools in the construction of economic studies to subsidize economic health evaluations, especially from the standpoint of the managers.

Perfil de gastos com o tratamento da Artrite Reumatoide para pacientes do Sistema Único de Saúde em Minas Gerais, Brasil, de 2008 a 2013 / Profile of spending on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis for patients of the Unified Health System in the state of Minas Gerais - 2008-2013

Resumo A artrite reumatoide (AR) é uma doença crônica que afeta cerca de 1% da população adulta. No estudo de coorte histórica de pacientes de Minas Gerais, registrados no Sistema de Informações Ambulatoriais (SIA), em 2008-2013, foram identificados 11.573 indivíduos. A perspectiva foi a do financiador público e os valores observados como gastos do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) foram ajustados pelo Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo (IPCA), de dezembro de 2015. O Etanercept foi o tratamento mais caro. A análise múltipla mostrou uma relação negativa entre o aumento das despesas e idade, sexo feminino e diagnóstico de entrada na coorte, e relação positiva para as variáveis Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano Municipal (IDH-M) e o uso de medicamentos bloqueadores do fator de necrose tumoral (ANTI-TNF). Este estudo identificou os fatores que têm impacto sobre o gasto com o tratamento medicamentoso da AR. Também apontou que métodos que permitem extrair dados demográficos e de gastos de sistemas de informação administrativos podem ser ferramentas importantes na construção de estudos econômicos capazes de subsidiar as avaliações econômicas de saúde, especialmente do ponto de vista da gestão.

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition that affects about 1% of the adult population. In a historical cohort of Minas Gerais State, 11,573 RA patients registered in the Outpatient Information System (SIA) between 2008 and 2013 were identified. For this study we adopted the public funding body's perspective and the values were adjusted by the national inflation index (IPCA) of December 2015. Etanercept was the most expensive treatment. The mean cohort age was 52 years old and most of the patients were women. Multiple regression analysis indicated a negative association between higher expenditure and age, female sex, and diagnosis at entry in the cohort and positive association between high expenditure and the Human Development Index (HDI) of the municipality and use of tumor necrosis factor agents. This study identified the factors that have an impact on RA drug treatment expenditure. Also, we showed that methods that enable extracting demographic and expenditure data of administrative information systems may represent important tools in the construction of economic studies to subsidize economic health evaluations, especially from the standpoint of the managers.

The Assessment for Disinvestment of Intramuscular Interferon Beta for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in Brazil.

In Brazil, inclusion and exclusion of health technologies within the Unified Health System (SUS) is the responsibility of the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC). A recent Cochrane systematic review demonstrated that intramuscular interferon beta 1a (IFN-ß-1a-IM) was inferior to the other beta interferons (IFN-ßs) for multiple sclerosis (MS). As a result, CONITEC commissioned an analysis to review possible disinvestment within SUS. The objective of this paper is to describe the disinvestment process for IFN-ß-1a-IM in Brazil. The first assessment comprised a literature review and mixed treatment comparison meta-analysis. The outcome of interest was the proportion of relapse-free patients in 2 years. This analysis confirmed the inferiority of IFN-ß-1a-IM. Following this, CONITEC recommended disinvestment, with the decision sent for public consultation. More than 3000 contributions were made on CONITEC's webpage, most of them against the preliminary decision. As a result, CONITEC commissioned a study to assess the effectiveness of IFN-ß-1a-IM among Brazilian patients in routine clinical care. The second assessment involved an 11-year follow-up of a non-concurrent cohort of 12,154 MS patients developed by deterministic-probabilistic linkage of SUS administrative databases. The real-world assessment further demonstrated that IFN-ß-1a-IM users had a statistically higher risk of treatment failure, defined as treatment switching or relapse treatment or death, with the assessment showing that IFN-ß-1a-IM was inferior to the other IFN-ßs and to glatiramer acetate in both direct and indirect analysis. In the drug ranking with 40,000 simulations, IFN-ß-1a-IM was the worst option, with a success rate of only 152/40,000. Following this, CONITEC decided to exclude the intramuscular presentation of IFN-ß from the current MS treatment guidelines, giving patients who are currently on this treatment the option of continuing until treatment failure. In conclusion, we believe this is the first example of this new disinvestment process in action, providing an exemplar for other treatments in Brazil as well as other countries.

Avaliação da infraestrutura da Assistência Farmacêutica no Sistema Único de Saúde em Minas Gerais / Infrastructure evaluation of Pharmaceutical Services in the National Health System of Minas Gerais

Resumo Em 2008, o estado de Minas Gerais criou o Programa Rede Farmácia de Minas (RFM), uma estratégia para garantir infraestrutura adequada das farmácias. O objetivo deste artigo é caracterizar a infraestrutura da Assistência Farmacêutica (AF) de Minas Gerais, comparando municípios contemplados ou não pela RFM, no intuito de verificar se os gastos estaduais implicaram em melhoria das AF municipais. Estudo transversal de avaliação da AF de Minas Gerais. Foram realizadas entrevistas presenciais e telefônicas com usuários, médicos, responsáveis pela AF e dispensadores de medicamentos, além de observação das instalações. Foram selecionados 104 municípios, dos quais 41,3% haviam adotado a RFM. Os dados foram coletados de julho de 2014 a maio de 2015. Municípios com RFM apresentaram taxas significativamente maiores de regularização da documentação legal, maior conforto para os usuários e funcionários, melhores condições de armazenamento de medicamento e realização de atividades clínicas. O maior volume de investimentos estadual na AF dos municípios com RFM gerou melhores condições de infraestrutura que foram avaliadas positivamente tanto por profissionais de saúde como pelos usuários do SUS.

Abstract In 2008 the state of Minas Gerais created the "Program Rede Farmácia de Minas" (RFM), a strategy to ensure adequate infrastructure of local public pharmacies, in order to improve the quality of medications use. Objectives To characterize the infrastructure of public pharmacies in Minas Gerais, comparing municipalities that have received the RFM program to the ones that haven't, in order to verify if the State's Economic Incentives implied in improvement of local Pharmaceutical Services (PS). Methods A cross-sectional, exploratory, evaluative study in a representative sample of the municipalities of Minas Gerais. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with users, physicians, and drug dispensers, as well as observation of pharmacy facilities and telephone interviews with municipal officials from the PS. 104 municipalities were selected, of which 41.3% had adopted the RFM. Data were collected from July 2014 to May 2015. Results Municipalities adept to the RFM presented significantly higher rates of legal documentation, more comfort for users and staff, better storage conditions of medicine and competence to conduct clinical activities. Conclusion The higher state investment in the PS organization for municipalities adept to the RFM developed better infrastructure that have been approved by health professionals and the users of the National Health System.

Hospitalization of schizophrenic patients in the public health system of Minas Gerais, Brazil / Hospitalização de pacientes esquizofrênicos no Sistema Único de Saúde em Minas Gerais, Brasil

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the socio-demographic and clinical variables, identify the determinants of length of stay and estimate the cost of inpatient treatment of schizophrenia in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: A non-concurrent cohort was conducted in three psychiatric hospitals of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The data was collected from patients' records in loco. The association between dependent and independent variables was evaluated via linear regression. The costs were calculated through an absorption costing method. Results: 1,928 patients that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Most patients were male, had no life partner, studied no more than the middle school, had no occupation and lived in the city of hospital assistance. Haloperidol was the most prescribed antipsychotic drug. Risperidone was the most used second-generation antipsychotic, followed by olanzapine. Average length of stay was 30.3 days (SD = 37.5 days) and the median was 20 days. Female patients, living in cities other than the hospital's, with involuntary or mandatory hospitalizations and in use of a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) and a first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) were associated to a longer length of stay. Average cost of hospitalization was R$ 11,713.07 (US$ 5,300.03) per hospitalization. Our results were corroborated by literature data. Conclusion: We found that most schizophrenic inpatients were male, single, had a low educational level and no occupational activity. The longer length of stay was associated to the socio-demographic and clinical variables, sex, place of residence, willingness to hospitalization of the patient and antipsychotic use

Objetivos: O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as características sociodemográficas e clínicas, identificar os determinantes do tempo de permanência hospitalar e estimar o custo do tratamento hospitalar de pacientes com esquizofrenia em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Métodos: Uma coorte não concorrente foi conduzida em três instituições psiquiátricas de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Dados foram coletados dos prontuários dos pacientes in loco. A associação entre variáveis dependentes e independentes foi avaliada por meio de regressão linear. Os custos foram calculados por um método de Custeio de Absorção. Resultados: 1.928 pacientes foram incluídos no estudo. A maior parte deles era do sexo masculino, não tinha companheiro de vida, estudou até o ensino fundamental, não tinha ocupação e vivia na cidade em que receberam atenção hospitalar. Haloperidol foi o antipsicótico mais prescrito. Risperidona foi o antipsicótico atípico mais utilizado, seguido pela olanzapina. O tempo médio de hospitalização foi de 30,3 dias (DP = 37,5 dias) e a mediana, de 20 dias. Pacientes do sexo feminino, vivendo em cidades diferentes de onde receberam atenção hospitalar, em hospitalização involuntária ou mandatória e em uso de antipsicóticos típicos e atípicos, foram associados a tempos de internação mais longos. O custo médio de hospitalização foi de R$ 11,713.07 (US$ 5,300.03) por hospitalização. Os resultados concordam com dados da literatura. Conclusão: A maior parte dos pacientes com esquizofrenia internados nas instituições avaliadas era do sexo masculino, solteira, tinha baixo nível educacional e não tinha ocupação. O tempo de permanência mais longo foi associado às variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas, sexo, local de residência, tipo de hospitalização quanto à voluntariedade e o uso de antipsicóticos.

Perfil dos usuários com doenças reumáticas e fatores associados à qualidade de vida no sistema único de saúde, Brasil / Profile of users with rheumatic diseases and factors associated with the quality of life in the National Health System, Brazi

INTRODUÇÃO: Doenças reumáticas (DR) compreendem algumas das doenças mais antigas e incapacitantes da prática clínica, acarretando um considerável impacto na vida dos acometidos. OBJETIVOS: Traçar o perfil dos usuários do SUS com DR e identificar os fatores associados à qualidade de vida (QV) no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Por meio da Pesquisa Nacional Sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos (PNAUM), os usuários do SUS com DR foram identificados. Realizou-se análise descritiva das variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. QV foi avaliada pelo EuroQol 5 dimensions (Eq-5D), sendo os fatores associados à ela identificados por regressão linear multivariada. RESULTADOS: Dentre os entrevistados, 1632 (19,1%) tinham DR, sendo a maior parte mulheres (81,6%), com mais de 40 anos (90,9%), casados ou em união estável (63,1%), pertencentes à classe econômica C (55,6%) e sem plano de saúde (87,7%). Além disso, 60% apresentavam três doenças crônicas, 92,2% utilizavam medicamentos, 49,5% avaliavam seu estado de saúde como nem ruim e nem bom. O escore médio de QV foi 0,660. Os fatores associados à pior QV foram ter idade entre 40 e 59 anos, residir na região Sul, relatar AVC e/ou depressão, estar em uso de cinco medicamentos ou mais, realizar dieta para perder peso e declarar estado de saúde ruim ou muito ruim. CONCLUSÃO: Compreender a perspectiva do usuário com DR ajuda o profissional de saúde a atingir o paciente de forma eficiente nas suas orientações, na forma de abordagem e nas ações educativas.(AU)

Introduction: Rheumatic diseases (RD) comprise one of the oldest and most disabling diseases in clinical practice, with a considerable impact on the lives of those affected. Objectives: To outline the profile of SUS users with DR and to identify associated factors with quality of life (QoL) in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Methods: Through the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM), SUSs users with RD were identified. A descriptive analysis of sociodemographic and clinical variables was performed. QoL was evaluated by EuroQol 5 dimensions (Eq-5D), and factors associated with it were identified by multivariate linear regression. Results: Among interviewees, 1632 (19.1%) had RD, with the majority of women (81.6%), over 40 years old (90.9%), married or in a stable union (63.1%), belonging to economy class C (55.6%) and without health insurance (87.7%). In addition, 60% had three chronic diseases, 92.2% used medicines, 49.5% evaluated their health status as neither bad nor good. The mean QoL score was 0.660. Factors associated with worse QoL were between 40 and 59 years of age, living in the southern region, reporting stroke and/or depression, being in use of five medications or more, performing a diet to lose weight and declaring poor or very poor health. Conclusion: Understanding the perspective of the user with RD helps the health professional to reach the patient in an efficient way in his orientations, in the form of approach and in the educational actions. (AU)

Avaliação econômica dos Programas Rede Farmácia de Minas do SUS versus Farmácia Popular do Brasil / Economic evaluation of the Programs Rede Farmácia de Minas do SUS versus Farmácia Popular do Brasil

Resumo A fim de esclarecer qual programa de assistência farmacêutica, Rede Farmácia de Minas Gerais RFMG ou Farmácia Popular do Brasil FPB, se apresenta como o mais eficiente sob a perspectiva do financiador público foi realizada uma avaliação econômica. O modelo desenvolvido consiste em um levantamento dos custos incorridos até a dispensação de medicamentos. A análise de Monte Carlo foi utilizada para estimar valores a partir das incertezas. Considerando que a população inicialmente estimada no RFMG fosse atendida em sua totalidade no PFPB, haveria um custo incremental de R$ 139.324.050,19. A análise de Monte Carlo mostrou-se favorável ao RFMG. Foram realizadas 10 mil simulações resultando no valor médio de R$ 114.053.709,99 para RFMG e de R$ 254.106.120,65 para o FPB. O Brasil apresenta uma formulação avançada de políticas públicas na saúde. A Política Nacional de Medicamentos enfatiza a necessidade de fortalecimento da assistência farmacêutica para além da mera aquisição. O modelo público, coerente com princípios e diretrizes do SUS, apresenta-se com condições mais adequadas para garantir assistência integral e universal de qualidade. A avaliação econômica reforça essa afirmativa, pois encontrou maior eficiência na alternativa de aplicação dos recursos diretamente na rede pública.

Abstract We conducted an economic assessment of the Pharmaceutical Assistance - Rede Farmácia de Minas Gerais-RFMG and Farmácia Popular do Brasil-FPB to ascertain which of the two models stands out as the most efficient. To do this, a model, which consisted of a study of incurred costs in both programs, up to the dispensing of medicine to citizens, was developed. The uncertainties of the proposed model were tested using the Monte Carlo method. If the entire population initially estimated in the RFMG were attended in the FPB, there would be an additional cost of R$ 139,324,050.19. The sensitivity analysis appeared to be favorable to the RFMG. A total of 10000 simulations were carried out, resulting in a median value of R$ 114,053,709.99 for the RFMG and R$ 254,106,120.65 for the FPB. The current National Drug Policy emphasizes the need to strengthen pharmaceutical services beyond the mere acquisition and delivery of pharmaceutical products. The public healthcare service model, consistent with the principles and guidelines of the SUS, seems to be more appropriate in ensuring complete and universal quality healthcare services to the citizens. The economic study conducted reinforces this fact, as it appears to be a more efficient alternative of the direct use of resources in the public health network.

Pesquisa Nacional de Acesso, Uso e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos: métodos / National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines: methods

The Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos ­ Serviços (PNAUM ­ National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines ­ Services) aimed to characterize the organization of pharmaceutical services in the Primary Health Care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). PNAUM ­ Services is a cross-sectional and evaluative study, with planned sample of 600 cities, held between 2014 and 2015, composed of a remote phase, with telephone interviews with health managers. Of these 600 cities, 300 were selected for a survey on health services. We selected the 27 capitals, the 0.5% largest cities of each region, and the remaining cities were drawn. The estimate of the representative national sample size considered three levels: cities, medicine dispensing services, and patients. The interviews were carried out with a structured questionnaire specific for: municipal secretaries of health, professionals responsible for pharmaceutical services in the city, professionals responsible for the dispensing of medicines, physicians, and patients. The secondary data were obtained in official databases, in the latest update date. PNAUM ­ Services was the first nationwide research aimed at the assessment and acquisition of national and regional indicators on access to medicines, as well as use and rational use, from the perspective of various social subjects

Technical issues and conservation conditions of medicines in the primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System / Situação sanitária dos medicamentos na atenção básica no Sistema Único de Saúde

OBJECTIVE To characterize the technical issues and conditions of medicines conservation in Primary Health Care of Brazilian regions, responsible for pharmacy/dispensing unit profile; environmental, storage, and dose fractioning conditions; inventory control and waste management; fire and electrical failure safety items; transportation problems; advertising regulation; and pharmacovigilance. METHODS This article is part of the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Serviços (National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines - Services)-, a cross-sectional and exploratory study, of evaluative nature, consisting of an information survey within a representative sample of municipalities, stratified by Brazilian regions, which constitute the study domains, and a sample of Primary Health Care services. Pharmaceutical services (PS) were directly observed with photographic record and face-to-face interviews with those responsible for the dispensing of medicines and over the telephone with those responsible for pharmaceutical services. Data were processed with the SPSS® software version 21. RESULTS The investigated dimensions showed relevant deficiencies and inequalities between the regions, generally more favorable in the Southeast and Midwest regions and weaker in the Northeast and North regions. We verified non-compliance with technical requirements and conditions essential to the conservation of medicines, which may interfere with the maintenance of stability and, thus, on their quality, efficacy, and safety. The regulation of advertising/promotion of medicines is still incipient and there is some progress in the structuring of mechanisms regarding pharmacovigilance. CONCLUSIONS The sanitary situation of medicines in Brazilian Primary Health Care is alarming due to the violation of the specific sanitary legislation for dispensing establishments and due to a wide range of requirements essential to the conservation of medicines. We observed a disconnection between the efforts made in the Brazilian Unified Health System to promote access to medicines for all population and the organization and qualification of pharmaceutical services.

OBJETIVO Caracterizar a situação sanitária dos medicamentos na Atenção Básica, nas regiões brasileiras, quanto a requisitos técnico-sanitários, responsável pela farmácia/unidade de dispensação, condições ambientais, de armazenamento, e de fracionamento, controle de estoque e gerenciamento de resíduos, itens de segurança contra incêndio e pane elétrica, problemas no transporte, regulamentação da propaganda e farmacovigilância. MÉTODOS Artigo integrante da Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Serviços, um estudo transversal, exploratório, de natureza avaliativa, composto por um levantamento de informações numa amostra representativa de municípios, estratificada pelas regiões brasileiras, que constituem domínios do Estudo, e uma amostra de serviços de Atenção Básica. Realizou-se observação direta dos serviços farmacêuticos com registro fotográfico e entrevistas presenciais com os responsáveis pela entrega de medicamentos e por telefone com o responsável pela assistência farmacêutica. Os dados foram processados com o software SPSS® versão 21. RESULTADOS As dimensões investigadas mostraram deficiências relevantes e desigualdades entre as regiões, em geral mais favoráveis nas regiões Sudeste e Centro-Oeste e mais deficitárias nas regiões Nordeste e Norte. Constatou-se descumprimento de requisitos técnicos e sanitários imprescindíveis à conservação dos medicamentos que podem interferir na manutenção da estabilidade e, assim, na sua qualidade, eficácia e segurança. A regulação da propaganda/promoção de medicamentos ainda é incipiente e existe algum avanço na estruturação de mecanismos em relação à farmacovigilância. CONCLUSÕES A situação sanitária dos medicamentos na Atenção Básica no Brasil desperta preocupações pelo descumprimento da legislação sanitária específica para os estabelecimentos de dispensação e de um amplo conjunto de requisitos imprescindíveis à conservação dos medicamentos. Constatou-se um descompasso entre os esforços no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde para promover o acesso aos medicamentos para toda a população e a organização e qualificação dos serviços farmacêuticos.

Indicators related to the rational use of medicines and its associated factors / Indicadores relacionados ao uso racional de medicamentos e seus fatores associados

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate indicators related to the rational use of medicines and its associated factors in Basic Health Units. METHOD This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a representative sample of Brazilian cities included in the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Serviços, 2015 (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines - Services, 2015). The data were collected by interviews with users, medicine dispensing professionals, and prescribers; and described by prescription, dispensing, and health services indicators. We analyzed the association between human resources characteristics of pharmaceutical services and dispensing indicators. RESULTS At national level, the average number of medicines prescribed was 2.4. Among the users, 5.8% had antibiotic prescription, 74.8% received guidance on how to use the medicines at the pharmacy and, for 45.1% of users, all prescribed medicines were from the national list of essential medicines. All the indicators presented statistically significant differences between the regions of Brazil. The dispensing professionals that reported the presence of a pharmacist in the unit with a working load of 40 hours or more per week presented 1.82 more chance of transmitting information on the way of using the medicines in the dispensing process. CONCLUSION The analysis of prescription, dispensing, and health services indicators in the basic health units showed an unsatisfactory proportion of essential medicines prescription and limitations in the correct identification of the medicine, orientation to the patients on medicines, and availability of therapeutic protocols in the health services.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Avaliar indicadores relacionados ao uso racional de medicamentos e seus fatores associados em unidades básicas de saúde. MÉTODOS Estudo transversal realizado em amostra representativa de municípios do Brasil incluídos na Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Serviços, 2015. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista com usuários, profissionais dispensadores de medicamentos e prescritores; e descritos por meio de indicadores de prescrição, dispensação e de serviços de saúde. Realizou-se análise da associação entre características dos recursos humanos dos serviços farmacêuticos e indicadores de dispensação. RESULTADOS Em nível nacional, o número médio de medicamentos prescritos foi de 2,4. A proporção de usuários com prescrição de antibiótico foi de 5,8%, 74,8% dos usuários receberam orientações sobre medicamentos na farmácia e para 45,1% usuários todos os medicamentos prescritos eram da relação nacional de medicamentos essenciais. Todos os indicadores apresentaram variações estatisticamente significantes entre as regiões do Brasil. Os dispensadores que relataram a presença de farmacêutico na unidade com carga horária igual ou superior a 40 horas semanais apresentaram 1,82 mais chance de transmitir orientações sobre o modo de usar dos medicamentos no processo de dispensação. CONCLUSÕES A análise de indicadores de prescrição, dispensação e de serviços de saúde nas unidades básicas de saúde mostrou proporção insatisfatória de prescrição de medicamentos essenciais e limitações na identificação correta do medicamento, orientação aos pacientes sobre medicamentos e de disponibilidade de protocolos terapêuticos nos serviços de saúde.