Efeitos regionais da política nacional de medicamentos (PNM) no acesso aos remédios gratuitos no Nordeste

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate the influence of drugs decentralization policy on the free access to medicine in the Northeast region, which started after the publication of the National Drug Policy (NDP). As a result, using the microdata special supplement of Health from PNAD 1998 (year before the issue of the NDP) and 2003 (five years after the NDP), it was estimated nine functional forms of logit model with fixed effect for the nine states of Northeast Brazil. The results implies that, after the policy, the probability to free medicines access was improved for almost all states, ranging from approximately 2% in Bahia to Sergipe in 21%. The only exception it was the Alagoas state. Regarding the secondary objective of this study, it was signalized that characteristics of individuals who sought the SUS, such as nonwhite race, to have chronic illness such as diabetes and hypertension, low per capita income, and low educational level, increases the probability to drugs free access. In conclusion, the access to medicines by SUS after NDP improved and the SUS has reached the poverty class.