Abstract Inborn errors of metabolism are rare disorders with few therapeutic options for their treatments, which can make patients suffer with complications. Therefore, compounded drugs might be a promising option given that they have the ability of meeting the patient’s specific needs, (i) identification of the main drugs described in the literature; (ii) proposal of compounding systems and (iii) calculation of the budgetary addition for the inclusion of these drugs into the Brazilian Unified Health System. The research conducted a literature review and used management data as well as data obtained from official Federal District government websites. The study identified 31 drugs for the treatment of inborn errors of metabolism. Fifty eight percent (58%) (18) of the medicines had their current demand identified, which are currently unmet by the local Health System. The estimated budget for the production of compounded drugs was of R$363,16.98 per year for approximately 300 patients. This estimated cost represents a budgetary addition of only 0.17% from the total of expenditures planned for drug acquirement. There is a therapeutic gap for inborn errors of metabolism and compounding pharmacies show potential in ensuring access to medicine therapy with a low-cost investment.

Abstract Pharmaceutical services correspond to a set of actions that aim to guarantee the integral access and rational use of drugs by the population. In this sense, this study aimed to identify the frequency and conditioning factors for clinical services of primary care in the Federal District, Brazil. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted, in which 34 pharmacists were interviewed. The most frequently developed clinical pharmaceutical services were dispensing, pharmaceutical guidance for users, and technical-pedagogical activities for the health team. There is a greater frequency of operation of clinical services by pharmacists working in pharmacies with physical infrastructure, with better levels of adequacy, greater support from management and health staff, and the inclusion in Family Health Support Nucleus activities. Although the clinical pharmaceutical services in primary care are incipient, the study raises important data for the reorientation and qualification of these actions.

Abstract In the epistemic field, several studies demonstrate the importance of pharmaceutical services in health care networks. Nonetheless, literature still addresses the strengths and barriers present in the provision of these services in an incipient way. Thus, this study aimed to understand these contexts in the development of clinical services for primary health care in the Federal District, Brazil. A qualitative study adopted the technique of open-script interview, structured based on the logic of the SWOT matrix. Pharmacists reported weaknesses such as precariousness and scarcity of physical infrastructure, material, and human resources. As threats, they discussed the lack of social recognition, discontinuities of government actions, and lack of preparation of the pharmacist for the provision of clinical services. Regarding themes pertaining to the service’s strengths and opportunities, the advances in propositions and executions of public policies, actions, and governmental programs that have expanded the pharmaceutical workforce in primary care and that are impelling the accomplishment of clinical services were listed. This study contributes to understanding the scenario of the development of clinical pharmaceutical services, and consequently provides subsidies for the actions of planning, evaluation and qualification of health services.

Resumo A adesão ao tratamento é fundamental para o sucesso da farmacoterapia da pessoa idosa. A respeito desse fenômeno, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar e compreender os fatores associados à adesão ao tratamento medicamentoso. Para isso, foi realizado um estudo qualitativo com os idosos considerados não aderentes pelo instrumento de Morisky, Green e Levine. O cenário de pesquisa ocorreu no Hospital Universitário de Brasília no período de março a agosto de 2015. A relação das pessoas idosas com a adesão ao tratamento mostrou-se complexa e englobou os seguintes fatores: alterações na rotina, acesso aos medicamentos e aos serviços de saúde, polifarmácia, desdobramentos dos efeitos medicamentosos, medicalização e relações com os profissionais de saúde. Para os idosos considerados não aderentes, foram observadas intencionalidades e condutas de adesão ao tratamento. Ou seja, a “adesão” e a “não adesão” são fenômenos experienciados pelas pessoas idosas de forma simultânea, acompanhando a dinâmica de vida dos indivíduos. Não obstante, o reconhecimento e a compreensão dos fatores discutidos foram importantes para o aprofundamento do conhecimento acadêmico sobre o tema, além de subsidiar o levantamento de informações cruciais para a qualificação da assistência farmacêutica local.

Abstract Adherence to treatment is essential for the success of pharmacotherapy for old people. Regarding this phenomenon, the objective of this study was to identify and understand the factors associated with adherence to drug treatment. For this, a qualitative study was carried out with the old people considered non-adherent by the instrument of Morisky, Green and Levine. The research scenario took place at the Hospital Universitário de Brasília from March to August 2015. The relationship between the old people and treatment adherence proved to be complex and included the following factors: changes in routine, access to medicines and health services health, polypharmacy, consequences of medication effects, medicalization and relationships with health professionals. For the old people considered non-adherent, intentions and conduct of adherence to treatment were observed. In other words, “adherence” and “non-adherence” are phenomena experienced by old people simultaneously, following the life dynamics of individuals. Nevertheless, the recognition and understanding of the factors discussed were important for the deepening of academic knowledge on the topic, in addition to supporting the gathering of crucial information for the qualification of local pharmaceutical assistance.

Resumo O farmacêutico executa importante papel no cuidado ao usuário da atenção primária, ao proporcionar ações emancipadoras de autocuidado, educação em saúde, promoção da saúde e do uso racional de medicamentos. Nesse contexto, este estudo, por meio de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, objetivou analisar os tipos e os benefícios dos serviços farmacêuticos clínicos desenvolvidos na atenção primária à saúde do Brasil. Foram recrutados, no SciELO e no PubMed/MEDLINE, artigos que tratavam dos serviços farmacêuticos clínicos desenvolvidos na atenção primária no Brasil publicados nos idiomas português, inglês ou espanhol no período de 2007 a 2017. O seguimento farmacoterapêutico é o serviço mais estudado, enquanto a dispensação e a orientação são as atividades realizadas com maior frequência pelos farmacêuticos da atenção primária. Já na esteira dos benefícios, a literatura demonstra a coexistência, a importância e a multidimensionalidade dos serviços farmacêuticos clínicos na promoção da saúde e do uso racional de medicamentos pela comunidade adstrita.

Abstract The pharmacist plays an important role in the care for the users of primary health care by providing emancipatory self-care actions, education in health, promotion of health and of the reasonable use of medications. In this context, the present study, through an integrative review of the literature, had the goal of analyzing the types and benefits of the clinical pharmaceutic services developed in primary health care in Brazil. In the SciELO and PUBMED/MEDLINE databases, we gathered articles on the clinical pharmaceutic services developed in primary health care in Brazil published in Portuguese, English and Spanish between 2007 and 2017. The pharmacotherapeutic follow-up is the most studied service, while dispensation and guidance are the activities most often performed by the primary health care pharmacists. Regarding the benefits, the literature shows the coexistence, the importance and the multidimensionality of the clinical pharmaceutic services in the promotion of health and in the reasonable use of medications by the circumscribed community.

Resumen El farmacéutico ejecuta un importante papel en el cuidado al usuario de la atención primaria, al proporcionar acciones emancipadoras de autocuidado, educación en salud, promoción de la salud y del uso racional de medicamentos. En ese contexto, este estudio, por medio de una revisión integrante de la literatura, tuvo el objetivo de analizar los tipos y los beneficios de los servicios farmacéuticos clínicos desarrollados en la atención primaria de salud en Brasil. Buscamos, en las bases de datos SciELO y PubMed/MEDLINE, artículos que trataban de los servicios farmacéuticos clínicos desarrollados en la atención primaria de salud en Brasil publicados en los idiomas portugués, inglés o español entre 2007 y 2017. El seguimiento farmacoterapéutico es el servicio más estudiado, mientras la dispensación y la orientación son las actividades realizadas con más frecuencia por los farmacéuticos de la atención primaria. Con relación a los beneficios, la literatura demuestra la coexistencia, la importancia y la multidimensionalidad de los servicios farmacéuticos clínicos en la promoción de la salud y del uso racional de medicamentos por la comunidad circunscripta.

The objective is to reveal the difficulties concerning the access and use of medicines by elderly individuals with dementia, reported by their caregivers. This qualitative study applied the participant observation method during pharmaceutical appointments performed in a specialized geriatrics service of the University Hospital of Brasília. Caregivers reported facing difficulties regarding the itinerary for medicines access in public pharmacies, as well as the high cost of these technologies in private establishments. Psychiatric symptoms, cognitive deficits, behavioral changes, apraxia, dysphagia, among other clinical manifestations of dementia syndromes, incapacitates the elderly for self-responsibility concerningthe use of drugs, which accentuates the complexity of medicines administration within the care process. In conclusion, it is fundamental to recognize caregivers’ role in promoting the rational use of medicines, and so this theme should be highlighted within the pharmaceutical services context.

Pharmaceutical care has undergone several transformations in the health context over the years. Thus, the pharmacist has suffered a reconfiguration of his performance, mainly with the incorporation of clinical services and patient approach. The study analyzed the results of the implementation of pharmaceutical clinical services in Primary Health Care, through the use of indicators of supply, demand and productivity, clinical and process quality related to pharmaceutical care. We included all the clinical visits (n=1,833) performed to 1,080 users in 12 Basic Health Unit facilities from May to November 2016, of which 40.8% (n=748) were consultations in the establishments and 50.2% (n=1,085) home visits. Most patients (73.5%) were referred by team and 17.5% were captured through active search. Of the total workload, 12.5% were dedicated to pharmaceutical consultations and 20.0% to home visits. In total, we identified 3,078 pharmacotherapy-related issues, an average of 2.8 per patient, and 6,882 pharmaceutical interventions were performed, equivalent to 6.3 interventions per patient. The problem with adherence to pharmacotherapy and the intervention of medication counseling were the most found. Results reinforce the importance of pharmaceutical clinical services in identifying the control of the most prevalent health conditions and monitoring the therapeutic results associated with drug use.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Despite the therapeutic benefits of drugs, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occur. Method: We assessed a series of suspected ADRs identified from notifications and intensive monitoring of inpatients from March 2013 to March 2014. RESULTS: Skin reactions predominated (31%). Systemic anti-infective agents were implicated in 16 (72%) reactions. Fifteen (68%) ADRs were classified as possible. The implicated drug was not correctly identified by the healthcare team in 12 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Some reactions were not correctly attributed to the causative drug(s), suggesting that the use of a validated evaluation method can promote successful identification of causal links between ADRs and drugs.

RESUMO A partição de comprimidos é uma prática controversa no meio da saúde. Mesmo assim, é amplamente difundida, principalmente em tratamentos envolvendo crianças e idosos, para ajustar doses, facilitar a ingestão do medicamento ou baratear o custo do tratamento medicamentoso. Os riscos dessa prática estão relacionados principalmente à imprecisão na dosagem das frações e a problemas de estabilidade no medicamento partido. O objetivo deste trabalho foi traçar um panorama das bases sanitárias que norteiam esse tema no mundo. Constatamos que as agências regulatórias de saúde dos países que integram o Mercosul, além de outros países sul-americanos, não possuem normas publicadas que tratem de partição de comprimidos. Entre as agências sanitárias pesquisadas, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nos Estados Unidos, é a única a apresentar normas que abrangem desde instruções para orientar o fracionamento até a regulação do processo de fabricação. O conceito de sulco funcional implementado pela FDA estabelece algumas garantias quanto à capacidade do comprimido de ser fracionado. Pode-se concluir que ainda faltam bases técnicas e científicas para direcionar as normas sanitárias acerca desse tema, tornando a decisão sobre a partição de comprimidos, em determinadas situações, aleatória e de alto risco para a saúde pública. A necessidade de regulação mais pormenorizada é vital para garantir a segurança dos usuários de medicamentos.

ABSTRACT Tablet scoring is a controversial but common practice used to adjust doses, facilitate drug intake, or lower the cost of drug treatment, especially in children and the elderly. The risks of tablet scoring are mainly related to inaccuracies in the resulting dose and stability problems. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of worldwide guidelines regarding tablet scoring. We found that regulatory health agencies in Mercosur countries as well as other South American countries do not have published standards addressing tablet splitting. Among the surveyed health agencies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States is the only one to present standards, ranging from splitting instructions to regulation of the manufacturing process. The concept of functional scoring implemented by the FDA has introduced some level of guarantee as to the ability of tablets to be split. In conclusion, technical and scientific bases are still insufficient to guide health rules on this subject, making the decision on scoring, in certain situations, random and highly risky to public health. The need for more detailed regulation is vital to ensure the safety of tablet medications.

O envelhecimento populacional está ampliando o número de cuidadores de idosos no Brasil. A farmacoterapia compreende um sistema complexo de atividades e a sua condução está presente no rol de tarefas desempenhadas por esses atores. Além disso, a conduta do tratamento pode estar sujeita a diversos problemas na sua execução, com destaque para: dificuldades de administração dos medicamentos, falta de acesso aos medicamentos, obstáculos na realização de observação clínica, assim como os desafios presentes no estabelecimento de uma comunicação efetiva com os idosos e profissionais de saúde. O presente estudo trata de uma revisão cujo objetivo é ampliar as discussões sobre os aspectos supracitados, de modo que este debate dê subsídios teóricos aos programas e serviços na área de gerontologia.

Aging of the population is increasing the number of caregivers of elderly people in Brazil. Pharmacotherapy involves a complex system of activities and its management is among the tasks performed these caregivers. Moreover, management of drug therapy may be subject to various problems relating to its implementation. In particular, there are difficulties in drug administration, lack of access to drugs, obstacles against conducting clinical observation and challenges in establishing effective communication between elderly people and healthcare professionals. The present study consists of a review that aims to expand the discussions on the abovementioned issues so as to provide theoretical support to programs and services within the field of gerontology.

El envejecimiento poblacional está ampliando el número de cuidadores de ancianos en Brasil. La farmacoterapia incluye un sistema complejo de actividades y su realización está presente en las diversas tareas desempeñadas por esos actores. Además, la conducta del tratamiento puede estar sujeta a diversos problemas en su realización, destacándose los siguientes: las dificultades de administración de los medicamentos, la falta de acceso a los medicamentos, los obstáculos en la realización de observación clínica, así como los desafíos presentes en el establecimiento de una comunicación efectiva con los ancianos y profesionales de la salud. El presente estudiose trata de una revisión cuyo objetivo es ampliar las discusiones sobre los aspectos anteriormente citados, de forma que tal debate proporcione subsidios teóricos a los programas y servicios en el área de la gerontología.

O envelhecimento populacional está ampliando o número de cuidadores de idosos no Brasil. A farmacoterapia compreende um sistema complexo de atividades e a sua condução está presente no rol de tarefas desempenhadas por esses atores. Além disso, a conduta do tratamento pode estar sujeita a diversos problemas na sua execução, com destaque para: dificuldades de administração dos medicamentos, falta de acesso aos medicamentos, obstáculos na realização de observação clínica, assim como os desafios presentes no estabelecimento de uma comunicação efetiva com os idosos e profissionais de saúde. O presente estudo trata de uma revisão cujo objetivo é ampliar as discussões sobre os aspectos supracitados, de modo que este debate dê subsídios teóricos aos programas e serviços na área de gerontologia.

Aging of the population is increasing the number of caregivers of elderly people in Brazil. Pharmacotherapy involves a complex system of activities and its management is among the tasks performed these caregivers. Moreover, management of drug therapy may be subject to various problems relating to its implementation. In particular, there are difficulties in drug administration, lack of access to drugs, obstacles against conducting clinical observation and challenges in establishing effective communication between elderly people and healthcare professionals. The present study consists of a review that aims to expand the discussions on the abovementioned issues so as to provide theoretical support to programs and services within the field of gerontology.

El envejecimiento poblacional está ampliando el número de cuidadores de ancianos en Brasil. La farmacoterapia incluye un sistema complejo de actividades y su realización está presente en las diversas tareas desempeñadas por esos actores. Además, la conducta del tratamiento puede estar sujeta a diversos problemas en su realización, destacándose los siguientes: las dificultades de administración de los medicamentos, la falta de acceso a los medicamentos, los obstáculos en la realización de observación clínica, así como los desafíos presentes en el establecimiento de una comunicación efectiva con los ancianos y profesionales de la salud. El presente estudiose trata de una revisión cuyo objetivo es ampliar las discusiones sobre los aspectos anteriormente citados, de forma que tal debate proporcione subsidios teóricos a los programas y servicios en el área de la gerontología.