Assessment of Pharmaceutical Services in a Southern Brazilian City.

Introduction:: Well-planned and executed pharmaceutical services (PS) are important for proper treatment of the population's health needs, thus enabling the access to essential drugs and promoting their rational use.

Objective:: To assess the situation of PS in the city of Uruguaiana (State of Rio Grande do Sul), Brazil.

Methods:: This cross-sectional study was applied to 650 interviews between June and September of 2013 in 11 Basic Health Units (UBS) and in the Main Pharmacy of the city. The indicators of prescription, of patient's care, and of service, were assessed according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).The Instrument of Self-Assessment for Pharmaceutical Services Planning (IAPAF) from the Brazilian Department of Health was used to assess the management and planning capacity of the PS, which was then applied in the Main Pharmacy and in the medicine stockroom.

Results:: The number of drugs per prescription varied from 1 to 10 (mean = 1.7). The percentages of prescribed drugs by generic name, and included in the City List of Essential Drugs (REMUME) were, respectively, 75.5 and 67.7%; antibiotics were prescribed in 9.7% of the medical appointments. The average time of medical appointment was 6 minutes; 51.4% of the users obtained their prescription; only 18.9% of the patients completely understood their prescriptions. Of the 24 items analyzed in the IAPAF, 12 were found in stage 1 (worst rating), 12 in stage 2, and none in stage 3 (ideal situation).

Conclusion:: Results seem to show the lack of PS in Uruguaiana with regard to planning, management, and patient's care. The absence of effective management may result in waste and incorrect use of drugs.