Expenditures with payments in the “Aqui Tem Farmacia Popular” Program: evolution between 2006-2014

Abstract

In 2004, the federal government has announced a new mechanism to improve the access of the Brazilian population to medicines, called “Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil". The model named “Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular" (ATFP), started in 2006 with the participation of the private retail pharmacies, has been the main responsible for the expansion of this form of provision. This article examined the expenditures of the Ministry of Health with payments of medicines to accredited private sector pharmacies to the ATFP Program in 2006 to 2014. We used data from secondary sources, such as the National Health Fund, SAGE database and direct contact with the e-SIC system. Were spent BRL 7.9 billion with the ATFP, with strong growth pattern after exemption of copayment, since 2011. Medicines for treatment of hypertension totaled 60% of expenditures, followed by the antidiabetic (19%) and dyslipidemia (14%). Losartan potassium and simvastatin were the major drugs in spending. The significant increases in federal expenditures should be the object of careful monitoring, since financial sustainability is a fundamental question on the viability of the financing systems of medicines.

Keywords:
Pharmaceutical Services; drug costs; health expenditures; government programs; Farmacia Popular Program