A assistência farmacêutica no Brasil contemporâneo: a produção pública de medicamento permite ampliar o acesso da população ao uso racional de medicamentos?

Abstract

The present thesis has evaluated the medicine production by the State, addressing its possibilities in improving the access to essential medicines. This study has relied on both bibliographical and documental analysis. The latter was focused on official documents from several institutional agencies linked to the country s pharmaceutical policy. The National Pharmaceutical Policy has been concentrated on the provision of pharmaceutical assistance, especially on the rational access to essential medicines. From an analytical and historical perspective, this research has highlighted the development of such policy from 2003 to the present day. Within this context, the current universal features of the Brazilian National Health System and the responsibility undertaken by the State to provide access to medicines were emphasized. The alternative offers of medicines by both the national and international pharmaceutical industries were also highlighted. The main goal of this thesis was the analysis of pharmaceutical production by the official laboratories as well as the difficulties faced by these laboratories resulting from a lack of continuity in the policies geared at strengthening its activities. Thus, the present work aims to show that essential medicine production might significantly contribute to the inclusion of those historically excluded from the health policies through continued strengthening policies as defined by the State.