The clinical pharmacist's role in a high-cost medicine pharmacy: Patient-centered care

Abstract In Brazil, medicine dispensing is a pharmacy service provided within the national health system that allows the pharmacist to interact directly with the patient in order to prevent, detect and solve problems related to pharmacotherapy and health needs. However, it is known that most dispensing services provided in the country are still limited to supplying medications and, at their finest, offering advice on medication utilization. Attempts to change this scenario present new challenges the area of pharmacy, which involve the need for a patient-centered pharmaceutical service model. This paper describes the patient-centered pharmaceutical service of high-cost medicine dispensing performed at a pharmacy linked to the Brazilian Unified Health System. In the model described here, the medicine-dispensing activity is the pharmacist's main field of practice, which consists of identifying patient needs related to health care itself and medication utilization. It also aims to introduce the instrument developed (a Pharmaceutical Care Protocol) that contributed to implementing this clinical service provided by the pharmacist. The protocols guide and qualify the service by providing information that helps in evaluating the effectiveness and safety of treatments and in the preparation of the care plan and can be used as a basis for other services that intend to adopt clinical pharmacy practices.

Análise das demandas judiciais para o fornecimento de medicamentos pela Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de Santa Catarina nos anos de 2003 e 2004 / Situation of lawsuits concerning the access to medical products by the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, during the years 2003 and 2004

Neste trabalho, é analisada a situação dos processos judiciais contra a Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Santa Catarina determinando fornecimento de medicamentos em 2003 e 2004. As variáveis consideradas foram: patologia declarada, medicamento solicitado, origem da prescrição, possíveis alternativas terapêuticas na Relação Estadual de Medicamentos (Resme), registro dos medicamentos na Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (Anvisa) e custos totais. Foram analisados 622 processos, com gasto de R$ 11.333.750,00. Os serviços privados de saúde originaram 56 por cento das prescrições. Hepatite C e artrite reumatoide foram as doenças mais referidas. Em 40 por cento dos casos, os produtos faziam parte da Resme. Dos produtos solicitados, 6,2 por cento tiveram a sua comercialização iniciada no Brasil a partir do ano 2000, destacando-se Interferon Pequilado e Infliximabe, responsáveis por 46 por cento do total dos gastos. Alguns processos envolviam medicamentos que não possuíam registro na Anvisa, e houve casos em que a indicação de uso do medicamento não estava aprovada no país. Os resultados indicam que a reavaliação dos elencos de medicamentos padronizados e a melhoria no acesso aos tratamentos, aliadas à melhor divulgação dos programas de distribuição de medicamentos, são medidas que potencialmente poderão reduzir o número de processos judiciais.

This study describes the situation of lawsuits concerning the access to medical products by the Health Department of Santa Catarina State (SES/SC), Brazil, during the years of 2003 and 2004. The variables considered were: declared illnesses, medicines demanded, prescription origin, possible alternatives therapeutics in the Santa Catarina State Register of Essential Medicines (Resme), the medicines registration at the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and total expenditure. 622 lawsuits were filed. Total expenditure was R$ 11,333,750,00 (Brazilian Reais). Private health care was the source of 56 percent of the prescriptions. Hepatitis C and rheumatoid arthritis were the most commonly diseases involved. About 40 percent of requested drugs were on the Resme. 6.2 percent of required drugs were approved in Brazil after 2000. PEG-Interferon and Infliximab were responsible for 46 percent of total expenditure. There were still some cases of drugs or indications not registered at Anvisa. These results indicate the need to reassess the list of medicines regularly provided by the SES/SC, and also to improve accessibility to (and information concerning) Programs of medicines distribution. These measures may potentially reduce the number of lawsuits filed against the State.

Identificação de amostras comerciais de raiz de taiuiá como Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn / Identification of commercial samples of taiuia-roots as Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn

A droga vegetal Taiuiá é comercializada pela indústria farmacêutica do Rio Grande do Sul como sendo proveniente de Cayaponia tayuy. (Veil.) Cogn. A análise cromatográfica de duas amostras comerciais fornecidas pela indústria mostrou-se tratar-se de Wilbrandia ebracteat. Cogn.

The vegetable drug Taiuia is used by the pharmaceutical industries of the state Rio Grande do Sul and the original plant is assigned to Coyaponia tayuya (Vell.) Cogn. The chromatographic analysis of two commercial samples supplied by the industry showed to be Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn.

O controle de qualidade de insumos vegetais e fitoterápicos na Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul / Quality control of plant drugs in the Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Säo relatadas as análises de insumos vegetais e preparaçöes fitoterápicas efetuadas no Setor de Controle de Qualidade da Faculdade de Farmácia no período 1984-1986. Os resultados obtidos säo discutidos em relaçäo ao desenvolvimento de controle de qualidade na indústria