Effectiveness of Drug Repurposing and Natural Products Against SARS-CoV-2: A Comprehensive Review.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a betacoronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, causing respiratory disorders, and even death in some individuals, if not appropriately treated in time. To face the pandemic, preventive measures have been taken against contagions and the application of vaccines to prevent severe disease and death cases. For the COVID-19 treatment, antiviral, antiparasitic, anticoagulant and other drugs have been reused due to limited specific medicaments for the disease. Drug repurposing is an emerging strategy with therapies that have already tested safe in humans. One promising alternative for systematic experimental screening of a vast pool of compounds is computational drug repurposing (in silico assay). Using these tools, new uses for approved drugs such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, zidovudine, ribavirin, lamivudine, remdesivir, lopinavir and tenofovir/emtricitabine have been conducted, showing effectiveness in vitro and in silico against SARS-CoV-2 and some of these, also in clinical trials. Additionally, therapeutic options have been sought in natural products (terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins and phenolics) with promising in vitro and in silico results for use in COVID-19 disease. Among these, the most studied are resveratrol, quercetin, hesperidin, curcumin, myricetin and betulinic acid, which were proposed as SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. Among the drugs reused to control the SARS-CoV2, better results have been observed for remdesivir in hospitalized patients and outpatients. Regarding natural products, resveratrol, curcumin, and quercetin have demonstrated in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and in vivo, a nebulized formulation has demonstrated to alleviate the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. This review shows the evidence of drug repurposing efficacy and the potential use of natural products as a treatment for COVID-19. For this, a search was carried out in PubMed, SciELO and ScienceDirect databases for articles about drugs approved or under study and natural compounds recognized for their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.

In vitro and in silico evaluation of antiretrovirals against SARS-CoV-2: A drug repurposing approach.

Background: Drug repurposing is a valuable strategy for rapidly developing drugs for treating COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the antiviral effect of six antiretrovirals against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in silico. Methods: The cytotoxicity of lamivudine, emtricitabine, tenofovir, abacavir, efavirenz and raltegravir on Vero E6 was evaluated by MTT assay. The antiviral activity of each of these compounds was evaluated via a pre-post treatment strategy. The reduction in the viral titer was assessed by plaque assay. In addition, the affinities of the antiretroviral interaction with viral targets RdRp (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase), ExoN-NSP10 (exoribonuclease and its cofactor, the non-structural protein 10) complex and 3CLpro (3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease) were evaluated by molecular docking. Results: Lamivudine exhibited antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 at 200 µM (58.3%) and 100 µM (66.7%), while emtricitabine showed anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity at 100 µM (59.6%), 50 µM (43.4%) and 25 µM (33.3%). Raltegravir inhibited SARS-CoV-2 at 25, 12.5 and 6.3 µM (43.3%, 39.9% and 38.2%, respectively). The interaction between the antiretrovirals and SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, ExoN-NSP10 and 3CLpro yielded favorable binding energies (from -4.9 kcal/mol to -7.7 kcal/mol) using bioinformatics methods. Conclusion: Lamivudine, emtricitabine and raltegravir showed in vitro antiviral effects against the D614G strain of SARS-CoV-2. Raltegravir was the compound with the greatest in vitro antiviral potential at low concentrations, and it showed the highest binding affinities with crucial SARS-CoV-2 proteins during the viral replication cycle. However, further studies on the therapeutic utility of raltegravir in patients with COVID-19 are required.

Short-Term Effectiveness and Reduction in Insulin Requirements in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With IdegLira in a Real-World Setting.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic, highly prevalent disease with a significant impact on health. Appropriate treatment requires effective and timely escalation to achieve metabolic control. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IDegLira on adults with T2DM previously treated with oral antidiabetics and/or insulin in a real-life setting. Methods: An observational study in a real-world setting was conducted. Patients were selected from the outpatient clinic of two centers dedicated to specialized diabetes care. Main outcomes were HbA1c, body weight, insulin dose changes, hypoglycemia, and other adverse events. Results: 67 T2DM patients treated with IDegLira were monitored between 3 and 7 months. At the end of foll ow-up, the median change in HbA1c was -1.05% (CI95% -1.45, -0.65), and a decrease in insulin requirement was also observed (mean difference -10 TDD units (CI95% - 17 to -2.5). No treatment discontinuation was reported, hypoglycemia events were reported in 3 patients at the end of follow-up versus 8 patients at baseline. Conclusions: This real-life study shows the effectiveness in glycemic control of IDegLira use in T2DM patients who do not achieve goals with other therapies, with an adequate safety profile. The findings need to be confirmed with evaluation of therapeutic results in larger cohorts.

Atorvastatin Effectively Inhibits Ancestral and Two Emerging Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.

This article evaluated the in vitro antiviral effect of atorvastatin (ATV) against SARS-CoV-2 and identified the interaction affinity between this compound and two SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The antiviral activity of atorvastatin against this virus was evaluated by three different treatment strategies [(i) pre-post treatment, (ii) pre-infection treatment, and (iii) post-infection treatment] using Vero E6 and Caco-2 cells. The interaction of atorvastatin with RdRp (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) and 3CL protease (3-chymotrypsin-like protease) was evaluated by molecular docking. The CC50s (half-maximal cytotoxic concentrations) obtained for ATV were 50.3 and 64.5 µM in Vero E6 and Caco-2, respectively. This compound showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 D614G strain in Vero E6 with median effective concentrations (EC50s) of 15.4, 12.1, and 11.1 µM by pre-post, pre-infection, and post-infection treatments, respectively. ATV also inhibited Delta and Mu variants by pre-post treatment (EC50s of 16.8 and 21.1 µM, respectively). In addition, ATV showed an antiviral effect against the D614G strain independent of the cell line (EC50 of 7.4 µM in Caco-2). The interaction of atorvastatin with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and 3CL protease yielded a binding affinity of -6.7 kcal/mol and -7.5 kcal/mol, respectively. Our study demonstrated the in vitro antiviral activity of atorvastatin against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 D614G strain and two emerging variants (Delta and Mu), with an independent effect of the cell line. A favorable binding affinity between ATV and viral proteins by bioinformatics methods was found. Due to the extensive clinical experience of atorvastatin use, it could prove valuable in the treatment of COVID-19.

Pharmacist's Role and Pharmaceutical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pharmacists play a vital role in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this chapter, we present the most significant contributions that pharmacists could make to communitarian and hospital settings. It includes the provision of essential services, such as continuous access to medication and supplies, support to medical services, education and information to the population and the health team to reduce the misuse of medications, patient monitoring and follow-up, and the detection and referral of suspected cases of COVID-19. The chapter ends with a discussion over certain elements related to innovation needs, such as telepharmacy services.

How to link patients with suspicious COVID-19 to health system from the community pharmacies? A route proposal.

Colombia confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 on March 6th, 2020. On March 16th, 2020, 54 cases have been confirmed (36 imported and 18 associated), therefore, Colombia is at highest alert, and it is now trying to avoid or minimize the last stage of "community transmission". We present a route proposal that shows how the community pharmacist may develop his responsibility to contribute to the early detection and appropriate referral of possible cases of the COVID-19. In the route have been considered three possible entrances depending on the needs of the users: anti-flu drugs, symptoms related to COVID-19 infection or the request for items for hygiene and prevention of transmission such as alcohol and face masks. Later, self-care education should be given, and the possible cases should be reported to the telephone lines designated by the mayor or the governor, continuing the healthcare process. Community pharmacies and pharmacy staff play a crucial role in minimizing the stage of "community transmission" of COVID-19, through properly detection and management of possible cases and customer education.

Rol del farmacéutico en la atención integral de pacientes con hepatitis C: revisión sistemática / The role of pharmacists in the comprehensive care of patients with hepatitis C: a systematic review

Resumen Objetivo: identificar y caracterizar las acciones/intervenciones realizadas desde los servicios farmacéuticos en el abordaje de pacientes con hepatitis C y proponer una vía clínica para la gestión de la enfermedad que incluya la participación del farmacéutico. Método: revisión sistemática en PubMed y EMBASE empleando los términos "Hepatitis C", "Pharmaceutical Services", "Community Pharmacy Services", y "Pharmacies"; artículos publicados hasta el 31 de marzo de 2019, cuyo tema central fueran las actividades realizadas por los servicios farmacéuticos en la atención a pacientes con hepatitis C. Se recopiló información sobre la actividad realizada, responsable, si la intervención era individual o colectiva y el entorno de aplicación. Las actividades se agruparon en promoción y prevención, gestión administrativa, atención farmacéutica, investigación y otros servicios de apoyo. De acuerdo con esto, se propuso una vía clínica para el manejo de la hepatitis C con participación del farmacéutico. Resultados: se incluyeron 60 artículos, principalmente de estudios descriptivos. La mayoría de las publicaciones reportó intervenciones realizadas en Estados Unidos y España. Se identificó la participación del personal farmacéutico en cada una de las etapas del proceso de atención, que incluye la provisión de servicios de reducción del daño, tamizaje del virus de la hepatitis C, vinculación de los pacientes al tratamiento, prescripción de medicamentos y órdenes de laboratorio. Conclusiones: se identifican y caracterizan las acciones/intervenciones realizadas desde el servicio farmacéutico para el manejo de la hepatitis C y se propone una vía clínica en la que se integran los servicios profesionales farmacéuticos a las demás actividades de la atención del paciente.

Abstract Objective: To identify and characterize the actions/interventions carried out by pharmaceutical services to approach patients with Hepatitis C and propose a clinical pathway for managing the disease that involves pharmacists. Methodology: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE using the terms "Hepatitis C," "Pharmaceutical Services," "Community Pharmacy Services," and "Pharmacies." Articles published until March 31, 2019, whose central topic was the activities carried out by the pharmaceutical services in the care of patients with Hepatitis C, were included. Information on the activity performed, the person in charge, whether the intervention was individual or collective, and the implementation environment was collected. The activities were grouped into promotion and prevention, administrative management, pharmaceutical care, research, and other support services. Based on the above, a clinical pathway for the management of Hepatitis C involving pharmacists was proposed. Results: Sixty articles were included, mainly descriptive studies. Most publications reported interventions in the United States and Spain. Pharmaceutical staff involvement was identified at each stage of the care process, including the provision of harm reduction services, Hepatitis C virus screening, enrolling patients to treatment, medication prescription, and laboratory orders. Conclusions: The actions/interventions carried out by the pharmaceutical service for Hepatitis C management were identified and characterized. A clinical pathway has been proposed to integrate professional pharmaceutical services with other patient care activities.

Long-term impact of pharmacist intervention in patients with bipolar disorder: extended follow-up to the EMDADER-TAB study.

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical care (PC) through the Dader method (DMet) vs. the usual care process (UCP) significantly reduced psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency service consultations during one year of follow-up of outpatients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I). To date, the effect of long-term PC on the use of health services by BD-I patients once pharmacist intervention has ended is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the effect of PC measured by the decrease in psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency service consultations is maintained one year after pharmacist intervention ceases. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients who had previously participated in a randomized, controlled, prospective, single-center clinical trial to compare PC (intervention group) vs. UCP (control group) in BD-I patients. Data were collected from November 2012 to March 2014. The primary outcome was the use of health services measured by the number of psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency service consultations. Descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, Kaplan-Meier function, and Log-Rank test were used. RESULTS: The study included 92 patients: 43 in the intervention group and 49 in the control group. Eleven psychiatric hospitalizations occurred for the intervention group and 19 for the control group. One year after pharmacist intervention ceased, there were no significant differences between the groups in psychiatric hospitalizations (p = 0.261). There were 14 emergency service consultations for the intervention group, and 24 for the control group without significant differences (p = 0.212). CONCLUSIONS: PC through the DMet has no long-term effects on psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency department consultations in patients with BD-I following discontinuation of pharmacist intervention; the effect dissipates when the intervention ceases. Future studies should focus efforts on identifying factors associated with PC that explain why the outcomes derived from this intervention are not maintained in the long term.

Maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and real time continuous glucose monitoring in two specialized centers in Medellin, Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and real time continuous glucose monitoring. METHODS: This is a retrospective study, analyzing the basal characteristics, glycemic control, maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, who were on an insulin pump with continuous glucose monitoring between 2011 and 2015. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were included. The median age was 33 and disease duration 12 years. Indications for therapy were mainly poor glycemic control and severe hypoglycemia. The median A1c decrease was 1.02% between the first and third trimester. Pregnancies were associated with complications: 7.1% of the patients had diabetic ketoacidosis, 7.1% had an abortion, 28.5% gestational hypertension and 12.2% preeclampsia. The median gestational age at birth was 37 weeks and four days; the frequency of preterm birth was 7.1% and macrosomia 21.4%. There were no congenital malformations or perinatal death. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline characteristics and results of patients in this study were similar to those reported in the previous literature. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with continuous glucose monitoring is an alternative treatment option for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes before or during pregnancy.

Effectiveness of the Dader Method for Pharmaceutical Care on Patients with Bipolar I Disorder: Results from the EMDADER-TAB Study.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar I disorder (BD-I) is a chronic illness characterized by relapses alternating with periods of remission. Pharmacists can contribute to improved health outcomes in these patients through pharmaceutical care in association with a multidisciplinary health team; however, more evidence derived from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is needed to demonstrate the effect of pharmaceutical care on patients with BD-I. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention using the Dader Method on patients with BD-I, measured by the decrease in the number of hospitalizations, emergency service consultations, and unscheduled outpatient visits from baseline through 1 year of follow-up. METHODS: This study is based on the EMDADER-TAB trial, which was an RCT designed to compare pharmaceutical care with the usual care given to outpatients with BD-I in a psychiatric clinic. The main outcome was the use of health care services, using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression. The trial protocol was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT01750255). RESULTS: 92 patients were included in the EMDADER-TAB study: 43 pharmaceutical care patients (intervention group) and 49 usual care patients (control group). At baseline, no significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were found across the 2 groups. After 1 year of follow-up, the risk of hospitalizations and emergencies was higher for the control group than for the intervention group (HR = 9.03, P = 0.042; HR = 3.38, P = 0.034, respectively); however, the risk of unscheduled outpatient visits was higher for the intervention group (HR = 4.18, P = 0.028). There was no "placebo" treatment, and patients in the control group might have produced positive outcomes and reduced the magnitude of differences compared with the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with usual care, pharmaceutical care significantly reduced hospitalizations and emergency service consultations by outpatients with BD-I. DISCLOSURES: This study received funding from the Universidad de Antioquia, Committee for Development Research and Sustainability Program, CODI, (2013-2014 and 2014-2015). Humax Pharmaceutical provided support for the initial development of the EMDADER-TAB trial without commercial interest in the outcomes derived from the trial. Salazar-Ospina reports grants from Credito Beca Francisco José de Caldas Scholarship for Doctoral Programs (528), which also contributed to the support of this study. González-Avendaño is an employee of Humax Pharmaceutical. The other authors have nothing to disclose. Study concept and design were contributed by Benjumea, Faus, and Rodriguez, along with Salazar-Ospina and Amariles. Salazar-Ospina took the lead in data collection, assisted by González-Avendaño, and data interpretation was performed by Salazar-Ospina, Hincapié-García, and González-Avendaño. The manuscript was written primarily by Salazar-Ospina, with assistance from Amariles and González-Avendaño, and revised by all the authors.

Clinical Outcomes After 1 Year of Augmented Insulin Pump Therapy in Patients with Diabetes in a Specialized Diabetes Center in Medellín, Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes can be difficult to control. Augmented pump therapy (CSII-rtCGM) has become an important tool for controlling blood glucose and decreasing hypoglycemia. METHODS: Describe the results 1 year after starting CSII-rtCGM in patients with diabetes in Medellín, Colombia. This is an observational, retrospective study. Patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes started on CSII-rtCGM between January 2008 and June 2015 were included. Qualitative variables were analyzed as absolute or relative frequencies. Quantitative variables were obtained through central tendency and dispersion according to the normal distribution of the analyzed variable using Kolmogorov-Smirnov. SPSS 19 from IBM was used. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-seven patients were identified, of those 183 were included. The starting HbA1C was 8.7% ± 1.7% and 7.4% ± 0.8% (P < 0.05) 1 year later. 16.5% of patients had been admitted to the hospital before starting CSII-rtCGM, after 1 year the admission rate was 6.0% (P < 0.05). The incidence of severe hypoglycemia at the beginning was 32%, 1 year later it was 7.1%. CONCLUSION: CSII-rtCGM therapy improves glucose control and decreases severe hypoglycemic events and hospital admission rate.

Sitagliptina versus insulina en pacientes hospitalizados con diabetes tipo 2. Estudio comparativo de costos / Sitagliptin vs insulin in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes: a comparative cost analysis

Introducción: tradicionalmente, el paciente hospitalizado con diabetes tipo 2 (DT2) se trata con insulina en un esquema basal/bolo, pero han surgido investigaciones en las que se muestra similar control metabólico con agentes orales, como sitagliptina. Basado en un ensayo clínico aleatorizado en el que se pudo comprobar esta hipótesis se plantea en este estudio las consecuencias en el costo para instituciones en Colombia de esta alternativa. Objetivo:determinar, a partir de un ensayo clínico aleatorizado publicado, los costos derivados de la utilización de sitagliptina o sitagliptina más insulina basal o insulina basal/bolo, en pacientes hospitalizados con diagnóstico de diabetes tipo 2. Métodos: partiendo de un ensayo clínico aleatorizado de referencia se evaluaron tres brazos: 1) sitagliptina + correcciones, 2) sitagliptina + basal + correcciones y, 3) insulina basal/bolo. Se diseñó una matriz de costos con casos tipo para cada brazo. Se tuvo en cuenta la posibilidad de fallo terapéutico y la necesidad de correcciones con insulina de acción rápida. Se realizó un análisis de sensibilidad de una vía, evaluando la influencia de los cambios en el costo de sitagliptina. Resultados: en el caso base, se observó una diferencia de COL $2 cuando se comparó sitagliptina + correcciones contra insulina basal/bolo. El modelo fue sensible al cambio de precio de la sitagliptina. La estrategia sitagliptina + basal siempre se comportó como la más costosa. Conclusión: en los escenarios evaluados no existen diferencias entre el uso de sitagliptina + correcciones o el esquema basal/bolo en pacientes con diabetes hospitalizados y que ingresan sin medicación, usando un agente oral o usando dosis de insulina inferiores a 0,4 UI/kg. El modelo es sensible al cambio en el costo de sitagliptina.

Patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to the hospital have traditionally been treated with basal/bolus insulin. A study published by Umpierrez et al., has shown that the same glucose control can be achieved with Sitagliptin (DPP IV inhibitor) compared to insulin glargine and glulisine. Based on this data a cost analysis was made to assess if this strategy would change inpatient diabetic care in Colombia. Objectives: To determine, from a published randomized clinical trial, the cost of utilizing Sitagliptin or Sitagliptin and basal insulin or basal / bolus insulin in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of T2DM. Methods: The study evaluated three arms: 1) Sitagliptin + supplemental insulin, 2) Sitagliptin + basal insulin + supplemental insulin and 3) Insulin basal / bolus + supplemental insulin. A Cost matrix was designed with type cases for each arm. It took into account the possibility of therapeutic failure and the need for corrections with a fast-acting insulin. A sensitivity analysis was performed in a platform, evaluating the influence of changes in the cost of Sitagliptin. Results: In the base case, a difference of $2 COP (Colombian pesos) was observed between the use of Sitagliptin + supplemental insulin compared with the basal/bolus + supplemental insulin strategy. The model is sensitive to the change in price of Sitagliptin. The Sitagliptin + Basal insulin strategy was the most expensive. Conclusion: In the 3 scenarios analyzed there was no difference between using Sitagliptin + supplemental insulin or basal / bolus + supplemental insulin in diabetic patients admitted to the hospital who were being treated with diet and exercise, oral agents or insulin at doses less than 0.4 IU / kg. The model is sensitive to changes in the cost of Sitagliptin.

Causas de abandono, cambio o fallo terapéutico de la anticoncepción hormonal en mujeres universitarias / Causes of dropout, change or therapeutic failure to hormonal contraception in university women

Introducción: los anticonceptivos hormonales son determinantes para el control de la natalidad. Pese a su uso, pueden aparecer embarazos no deseados, asociados al cambio o abandono terapéutico. Las causas de estos eventos deben ser identificadas para su intervención. Objetivo: medir la frecuencia de posibles causas asociadas al cambio y abandono terapéutico, que puedan desencadenar embarazos no deseados en mujeres universitarias entre los 17 y 30 años de edad, que usan o han usado anticonceptivos hormonales como método de planificación familiar. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de corte en mujeres matriculadas en alguno de los programas de la Universidad de Antioquia, que usan o usaron anticonceptivos hormonales como método de planificación familiar. Muestreo no aleatorio estratificado. Se diseñó e implementó una encuesta para recolectar los datos. Se analizó la estadística descriptiva de las variables. Resultados: se incluyeron 353 mujeres (edad promedio de 21,3 años). El 22,5% de las usuarias actuales y el 24,7% de las usuarias en el pasado del método anticonceptivo hormonal lo toman o tomaron por autoprescripción. Aunque la mayoría de ellas recibieron información sobre uso adecuado de la medicación, entre el 26,2 % y el 41,4 %, consideraron que la capacitación fue insuficiente. La causa más importante de abandono de la terapia fue los eventos adversos (48,6 %); de los cuales el dolor de cabeza y aumento de peso fueron los más relevantes. Las condiciones de acceso fueron la segunda causa de abandono terapéutico (23,6 %). Por su parte, el cambio de terapia se atribuyó a los eventos adversos y la incomodidad del uso. En total se reportaron siete fallos terapéuticos (2 %), sin causas destacables. Conclusiones: la alta incidencia de eventos adversos asociados a los anticonceptivos hormonales, puede ser una de las causas más importantes de cambio y abandono de la terapia. Otras causas, en orden de importancia, son la falta de acceso a los medicamentos ...

Hormonal contraceptives are decisive for birth control. Despite the use of these, undesired pregnancies could appear, associated with therapeutic change or dropout. The causes of these events must be measured to plan further interventions. Objectives: To measure the prevalence of possible causes associated with hormonal contraceptive change or dropout that can trigger therapeutic failure in university women between 17 and 30 years old. Women who use or have used some hormonal contraceptive for birth prevent. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was made. The target population was women enrolled in any of the programs of the University of Antioquia. Women included in this study use or have used hormonal contraceptives as a method of birth control. A non-randomized and stratified sampling was made. A poll to collect data was designed and implemented. The descriptive statistics of the variables was evaluated. Results: 353 women (average age of 21,3 years) were included. A 22,5 % of current users and 24,7 % of past users, take or took hormonal method for self-prescription. Although most of the women had received information of proper use of medication, between 26.2 % and 41.4 % believed that training was insufficient. The most important cause of dropout of therapy was adverse events (48,6% of total cases). Headache and weight gain were the most relevant. Access and economic issues were the second cause of dropout (23.6 % of total cases). Meanwhile, therapy change was attributed to adverse events and discomfort in use. In total there were 7 pregnancies (2 %) without any remarkable cause. Conclusions: The high incidence of adverse events associated to hormonal contraceptives, may be one of the most important causes of change and dropout therapy. Access problems and economic issues are other causes, in order of importance. With these findings, we can highlight the need for vigilance and education in hormonal contraceptive use.