Popular Pharmacy Program Research Articles

O PERFIL DE DISPENSAÇÃO DE ANTI-HIPERTENSIVOS EM UMA FARMÁCIA DA CIDADE DE ALIANÇA-TO

Introduction: Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition that affects the blood vessels, heart, brain and eyes. If left untreated, it can even lead to kidney failure. The condition arises when blood pressure readings are repeatedly recorded above the 140 by 90 mmHg range. One form of treatment is pharmacological, with classes of drugs known as antihypertensives. Objective: To verify the dispensing profile of antihypertensive drugs in a pharmacy belonging to the Popular Pharmacy Program in the city of Aliança do Tocantins, showing the classes of drugs most commonly used to treat hypertension. Materials and methods: The data was collected from the drug dispensing records between January and April 2024 from a pharmacy in the municipality of Aliança-TO. The pharmacy in question provided spreadsheets containing detailed information on the medicines dispensed daily. This data was then compiled and analyzed. Final considerations: Through the data survey, it was concluded that Losartan was the most dispensed antihypertensive between January and May 2024 at Drogaria Brasil Popular in the city of Aliança do Tocantins-TO.

Access to medicines for the treatment of systemic arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Brazilian population: data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey

This study aimed to measure access to medicines for the treatment of systemic arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Brazil according to the mode of acquisition, as well as to analyze the factors associated with this access, based on data from the 2019 Brazilian National Survey of Health (PNS, acronym in Portuguese). Socioeconomic data and data related to the use of medicines by people aged 15 and over were analyzed in relation to access via the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program (PFPB, acronym in Portuguese) and via public services. The majority of Brazilians who took part in the PNS reported using medication to control hypertension in the previous 15 days (91.5%) and using oral medication for diabetes (95.2%) and/or insulin (70%). Most participants obtained oral medication for hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus via PFPB (45.2% and 53.6%, respectively), and the factors that most negatively influenced this access were older age, lower income, lower schooling, very poor self-rated health and not having private health insurance. Access to insulin, on the other hand, was most often via the public health service (69.7%), and the factors that most negatively influenced this access were black/mixed-race skin color, lower income, very poor self-rated health and not having private health insurance. Generally, the importance of the PFPB as a policy to increase access to essential medicines in Brazil was highlighted, considering the free supply of antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs.

Evaluation of an electrochemical membrane reactor for the removal of β-blocker compound from water

As part of the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program, the β-blocker Atenolol (ATN) is widely used, and its presence in the environmental ecosystems is a reality. Aiming the ATN removal, the use of an electrochemical membrane reactor was evaluated and compared to a membraneless one. The results show that the generation of SO4•− in the membrane reactor occurs by the reaction of HSO4−/H2SO4 scavenging HO•, whereas, in the membraneless reactor, the SO4•− generation occurs mainly by the direct oxidation mechanism. Operating both reactors in the same hydrodynamic conditions, it was found that the concentrations of SO4•− and S2O82− are higher in the membrane reactor, leading to a greater concentration of these species being transported to the bulk solution, changing the kinetics, and presenting better results in electrochemical combustion (ϕ), mineralization current efficiency (MCE) and specific energy consumption (Es). Since the mass transport limitations were overcome in membrane reactor, the processes may find their good applications in water and wastewater treatment.

Sources of medicines for hypertension and diabetes in Brazil: results from the National Health Survey.

This study aims to analyze the sources people over 18 years of age use to obtain medication for the treatment of hypertension and diabetes, according to sociodemographic characteristics from 2013 to 2019. Data from the Brazilian National Health Survey were analyzed. Most individuals with diagnosis and prescription to pharmacological treatment reported obtaining medicines exclusively from one type of source. The percentage of people who acquired hypertension medicine exclusively from public pharmacies decreased, from 24.5% in 2013 to 16.2% in 2019; while there was an increase in those obtaining from the Popular Pharmacy program, from 23.5% to 31.4%; as well as for out-of-pocket payment, which rose from 30.9% to 35.5% The percentage of people who acquired diabetes medication exclusively from public pharmacies increased from 7.4% to 18.6% and with out-of-pocket payment increased from 21.6% to 26.8%, while the percentage of those who acquired from the Popular Pharmacy program decreased from 47.2% to 36.4%. The percentage of those who acquired medication from various sources decreased for both hypertension and diabetes. For men, white, and those with higher education, the source of medication acquisition, for both conditions, was mostly by out-of-pocket payment. The high number of medicine acquisition from public sources represents an advance in Brazil's response to the treatment of these conditions, but reducing regional differences still represents a challenge to be overcome by the healthcare system.

Analysis of access to health services in Brazil according to sociodemographic profile: National Health Survey, 2019.

to describe the access to and utilization of health services among the Brazilian population according to sociodemographic characteristics, based on the 2019 National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde - PNS). this was a cross-sectional descriptive study based on a PNS sample; the prevalence and respective confidence intervals of data stratified by sex, schooling, age and national macro-region of residence were calculated; data were analyzed using Stata software version 16.1. a total of 293,725 individuals were interviewed; males showed lower proportion of medical consultations (66.6%) and were less likely to seek care (17.6%); among those living in the North region, 69.1% had medical consultations; 16.5% of individuals with low level of education obtained medication through the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program. the results reinforce iniquities in access to and utilization of health services, in addition to the need for monitoring indicators in order to guide health policies in Brazil.

National Health Survey 2019: medication obtainment through the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program by adults being treated for hypertension and diabetes.

To describe the proportion of adults with hypertension and diabetes who obtained medication through the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program (Programa Farmácia Popular). Population-based descriptive study, using data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey. The proportion of individuals who obtained at least one type of medication for hypertension and diabetes in the Program was analysed according to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, by regions and federative units. The proportion of individuals who obtained medication for hypertension was 45.1% (95%CI 43.7;46.5), and, for diabetes, 51.5% (95%CI 49.5;53.6). Respectively for both conditions, medication obtainment was higher in the South region (54.3%; 95%CI 51.3;57.2 and 59.1%; 95%CI 54.6;63.7) and lower in the higher strata level of education (30.9%; 95%CI 27.7;34.2 and 40.7%; 95%CI 35.1;46.3) and income (24.0%; 95%CI 19.7;28.2 and 28.9%; 95%CI 22.1;35.7). Regional and socioeconomic inequalities were identified in obtaining medication for hypertension and diabetes through the Program.

Indicators of the line of care for people with diabetes in Brazil: National Health Survey 2013 and 2019.

To compare health care indicators for adults with medical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Brazil, in 2013 and 2019, and analyze the indicators for 2019 according to sociodemographic characteristics. Cross-sectional study using data from the 2013 and 2019 National Health Survey. Care indicators were evaluated in people with medical diagnosis of DM. DM prevalence increased from 6.2% (2013) to 7.7% (2019). Between 2013 and 2019, there was an increase in the use of medications (from 80.2% to 88.8%) and of medical care (from 73.2% to 79.1%), a reduction in the use of Popular Pharmacy Program medications (from 57.4% to 51.5%) and in follow-up with the same physician (from 65.2% to 59.4%). In 2019, poorer indicators were observed for individuals who were male, younger, Black and Brown, and with lower education and income. Most indicators remained similar in the last five years, with differences according to sociodemographic characteristics in 2019.

Análise dos determinantes da utilização do Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil

Objective: The study analyzes the determinants of the individual who participate in the Popular Pharmacy Program in Brazil (PFPB). Methods: It used a microdata base from the National Health Survey in 2013, using the Logit model. Results: Observe if the individual’s age increases, the more likely the program is to use medication. In addition, greater schooling, belonging to the highincome class and using health plans decrease this probability. It was also found that the perception of health of each individual does not change the probability of using PFPB, but the diagnosis of chronic diseases is an important explanatory factor for the use of medicines. Conclusion: The use of the program is related to socioeconomic and morbidity factors, demonstrating the importance of pharmaceutical assistance policies in the health/disease process, especially for individuals in lowincome classes and with chronic or long-term illness. The results allow public managers to have a greater understanding the use of the program by the population, enabling better targeting, expansion and qualification of access to medicines

A QUÍMICA POR TRÁS DOS MEDICAMENTOS DISTRIBUÍDOS PELO PROGRAMA FARMÁCIA POPULAR NO BRASIL: ROTAS SINTÉTICAS, RELAÇÃO ESTRUTURA-ATIVIDADE E PERSPECTIVAS FUTURAS

CHEMISTRY BEHIND DRUGS DISTRIBUTED BY THE POPULAR PHARMACY PROGRAM IN BRAZIL: SYNTHETIC ROUTES, STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES. Certainly, most chemistry students, patients or simply curious, have already questioned themselves about certain medications present in their daily lives, trying to understand how they work and even how they can be obtained. Based on that, this work presents some known synthetic routes and the structure-activity relationship (SAR), of some active pharmaceutical ingredients present in medications distributed in Brazil by the government program known as “Farmacia Popular”, emphasizing the functional groups and chemical structure linked to their mechanisms of action. Some other characteristics and future perspectives of such drugs and their respective active principles are also highlighted.

"Kit-covid" and the Popular Pharmacy Program in Brazil.

"Kit-covid" and the Popular Pharmacy Program in Brazil.

Avaliação farmacológica de medicamentos usados por idosos frequentadores de uma drogaria privada

Objetivo: realizar a avaliação da farmacoterapia de idosos frequentadores de uma drogaria privada.Método: a pesquisa abrangeu um estudo transversal realizado no período de junho a setembro de 2019, em uma drogaria privada, conveniada ao Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil, localizada no município de Nova Bréscia/RS. Para a coleta de dados foi aplicado um questionário, a fim de analisar a farmacoterapia e os hábitos de vida dos idosos participantes da pesquisa na drogaria selecionada.Resultados: a população pesquisada envolveu 81 idosos, sendo a maioria composta por mulheres (69,1%) e a idade média dos participantes foi de 69,4 anos, predominando aqueles na faixa de 60 a 69 anos (53,1%). A grande maioria dos entrevistados (66,7%) se automedica; 36 (44,4%) pessoas foram classificadas com o nível de polifarmácia maior e uma média de 4,64 medicamentos por pessoas. No total, foram 45 pessoas (55,6%) que tiveram algum tipo de interação medicamentosa, variando uma média de 2,72 interações por pessoa. Na pesquisa, foram encontrados 59 medicamentos que são considerados inapropriados para os idosos de acordo com os Critérios de Beers.Conclusão: o envelhecimento predispõe os idosos a um aumento do uso de medicamentos, aumentando o nível de polifarmácia e as chances de ter interações medicamentosas. Assim, destaca-se a importância do profissional farmacêutico em orientá-los sobre os medicamentos, sobre a não utilização de alguns fármacos, o uso de doses adequadas, acompanhamento da terapia farmacológica, como a sua eficácia e, dessa forma, contribuir para uma qualidade de vida melhor.

Profile of use and access to statins in patients with coronary arterial disease in an outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital

Objective The aim of the study is to describe statin use pattern and access among individuals with coronary artery disease of a secondary care service of the Brazilian Unified Health System. Methods This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a multi-professional outpatient cardiology clinic at a public, university, and general hospital in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The level of adherence to the recommendations of intensity of the statin therapy of Brazilian and American dyslipidemia guidelines was established. The prescribed statin, adherence to treatment, access, and clinically relevant drug interactions with statins were identified. Access to statin was analyzed through the availability and acquisition capacity realms. Results The sample consisted of 148 patients who were selected from April 2018 to February 2019. Approximately 90% of patients were under 75 years old. The most prevalent cardiovascular diagnoses were acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation and without ST-segment elevation. All patients had a very high cardiovascular risk. Polypharmacy and cardiovascular polypharmacy were identified in 91.2% and 74.3% of patients, respectively. We identified that 90.6% of the patients used a moderate-intensity statin, and simvastatin was the most common stain used. The level of adherence to the recommendations of Brazilian and American dyslipidemia guidelines for statin use was 9.4% and 21.6%, respectively. Total free access to statins by the Unified Health System was 44.6%, with 52.1% of respondents reporting that they received statins at the health center, 25.7% through the popular pharmacy program via copayment, and 33.8% from a private pharmacy. Conclusion The level of adherence to the recommendations of U.S. and Brazilian guidelines of dyslipidemia for statin use was low. Most patients used a moderate intensity statin, despite having a high cardiovascular risk. Simvastatin was the most prescribed statin.

Public financing of human insulins in Brazil: 2009-2017.

From 2006 to 2017, the Brazilian federal government provided free of charge traditional insulins for diabetes treatment. This involved public tendering by the Department of Health Logistics of the Ministry of Health (DLOG-MOH) and the reimbursement after direct contracting for supply with commercial private retailers (Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program - PFPB). We aim to describe the budget of the Brazilian federal government committed to for the acquisition of insulin, as well as corresponding prices and treatment availability from 2009 to 2017. Insulin volume and expenditure data were obtained in official administrative databases and in the Electronic System of the Information Service to Citizens. Data were analyzed according to the total provision by the federal government, DLOG-MOH and PFPB. Moreover, data were presented according to insulin type. Volumes were calculated in number of defined daily doses (DDD)/1,000 inhabitants/day. Budgetary commitments due to insulin over nine years amounted to U$1,027 billion in 2017, with an approximate average of U$114.1 million per year. DLOG-MOH was the main insulin provider, despite the increase in PFPB provision along period. DLOG-MOH and PFBP together provided an average of 6.08 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day for nine years. Average prices in PFPB were higher than those in the DLOG series, with a downward trend over the years, narrowing to 2.7 times in 2017, when compared to 2009. Brazil evidenced a moderately sustainable and effective, albeit imperfect, policy for public provision of traditional insulins in the period preceding mandatory free supply of insulin analogues. Future studies must address treatment availability and financial sustainability in the new scenario.

Equity analysis of resource distribution for the Popular Pharmacy Program.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To analyze the regional allocation of the resources from the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program, taking into account the relative availability of the program and the potential needs of the region.METHODS Data from the National Health Survey of the Annual Report of Social Information and the administrative database of the program were used to create a non-parametric indicator of coverage using multiple data envelopment analysis technique. This indicator considers the relative availability of the program, taking into account equal access to equal needs (equity based on regional needs). The analysis of this indicator shows if the regions that most need pharmaceutical assistance are those that receive more resources from the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program.RESULTS The states belonging to the richest regions of the country, Southeast and South, present wider relative coverage of the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program compared to poorer localities. In addition, the inequalities observed between locations are better explained by inefficiency in the transfer of resources to the basic component of pharmaceutical care than by the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program itself. According to the model, a 43.76% increase in the transfer to the basic component of pharmaceutical care would be required in order to improve equity, whereas the increase required by the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program is equivalent to 22.71%.CONCLUSIONS Although the Brazilian Popular Pharmacy Program seeks to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities observed in access to pharmaceutical care, which integrates health care services, regional disparities in access to medicine persist. These regional differences are attributed mostly to allocation failures and problems in managing the conventional pharmaceutical care cycle provided through SUS pharmacies.

O fim da Rede Própria do Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil e o Princípio da Proibição do Retrocesso Social

Objetivo: O presente artigo analisa o encerramento da modalidade “Rede Própria” do Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil a luz do princípio da proibição do retrocesso social. Metodologia: Realizou-se um estudo descritivo, analítico de base documental e de abordagem qualitativa, com estudos publicados no Brasil no período de 2010 a 2017, sob a ótica das normas legislativas que regem o programa e análise dos dados disponibilizados no portal da Sala de Apoio à Gestão Estratégia do Ministério da Saúde sobre o Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil. Resultados: O número de farmácias e adesão dos municípios foram crescendo gradativamente do início do Programa em 2004 até 2012, no ano de 2013 houve uma estagnação e após 2013 começou a diminuir o número de farmácias e consequentemente o número de municípios atendidos. Conclusão: O encerramento da modalidade “Rede Própria” do Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil pelo Governo Federal significa um aumento no gasto das famílias brasileiras, além de denotar um retrocesso social.

Matão Controlling Hypertension (MatCH) project: Rationale and design.

BackgroundHypertension is the main risk factor for most cardiovascular diseases. A coordinated and organized system from the Brazilian Ministry of Healthy involving Family Health Strategy (FHS), a program for the prevention of chronic disease, and the Popular Pharmacy Program (PPP), which subsidizes medications for the population, could allow an earlier identification and better blood pressure (BP) control. Matão Controlling Hypertension (MatCH) is a community-based population project that aims to apply an organized, integrated and coordinated program in the city of Matão, Brazil, involving FHS and PPP in order to actively search, treat and follow-up hypertensive subjects.MethodThis is a population community-based, interventional, follow-up study where all subjects aged ≥ 40 years assisted by the FHS program in Matão will have BP assessed monthly by trained Community Health Agents (CHA) during a domiciliary visit. Identified hypertensive subjects will be referred to FHS physicians for nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatment. Most of the hypertensive drugs used will be available through the PPP. Prevalence of hypertension, awareness, demographics and risk factors will be correlated with BP control. The population study is expected to involve approximately 18.600 subjects. The study period will be four years.DiscussionConsidering that hypertension is asymptomatic in most cases, to reduce the population burden of BP-related deaths and diseases it is essential to detect and treat early all hypertensive patients. If we achieve our large-scale BP control, this program can be applied to other populations from developing countries.

PERFIL SOCIOECONÔMICO E FARMACOTERAPÊUTICO DOS USUÁRIOS DO PROGRAMA FARMÁCIA POPULAR EM JUAZEIRO DO NORTE- CE

De acordo com a Constituição Brasileira, Saúde é um direito de todos e dever do Estado. Algumas políticas foram e continuam sendo adotadas com o intuito de elevar a qualidade dos serviços de saúde e alargar o acesso da população aos medicamentos essenciais, a exemplo dessas políticas o governo federal instituiu em 2004, o Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil (PFPB). O presente artigo tem como objetivo traçar o perfil socioeconômico e farmacoterapêutico dos usuários do Programa Farmácia Popular atendidos na unidade de Juazeiro do Norte-CE. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa com amostra de 100 entrevistados de ambos os sexos, entre 20 e 70 anos, sendo a coleta de dados realizada através de questionário semiestruturado. Dentre os 100 participantes da pesquisa, 77% eram do sexo feminino; 22% têm entre 61-70 anos de idade; 79% declaram-se não alfabetizado; 78% afirma ter renda familiar entre 1-2 salários mínimos; 22% dos entrevistados eram hipertensos; 61% dos medicamentos destinam-se ao tratamento da hipertensão; 96% afirmam que o PFPB atende suas expectativas; 69% declara não ter condições de custear o tratamento medicamentoso. Além da perspectiva de saúde pública, o PFPB, desempenha um papel social importante de responsabilidade pública para com a população carente efetividade e viabilidade desse programa, demonstra-se o perfil do seu usuário, ao passo que se sugere estratégias que permitam um maior alcance do programa, tais como a revisão do elenco de medicamentos para inclusão de mais fármacos e maior divulgação.

O programa farmácia popular: alcance e limites como alternativa de acesso a medicamentos essenciais

Tendo como premissa que o Estado brasileiro reconhece o direito à saúde como uma das garantias de cidadania, o presente artigo analisa o Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil, implantado em 2004, como política pública de acesso a medicamentos. Avaliou-se o programa com base em pesquisa documental, bibliográfica e entrevistas com atores-chave, para identificar seus alcances e limites. Ao objetivar a distribuição de medicamentos essenciais para o tratamento de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis, o programa apresentou algumas vantagens na eficiência logística, garantindo a disponibilidade de medicamentos, facilidade de acesso às farmácias conveniadas, mas denotou que os usuários do sistema público de saúde, que deveriam estar utilizando a assistência farmacêutica pública convencional, que distribui gratuitamente remédios à população, necessitavam de outra forma de atendimento, por causa das deficiências nessa assistência pública. Embora o programa tenha sido considerado importante como alternativa, foram sugeridas melhorias operacionais e estratégicas para que este se torne mais efetivo no acesso aos remédios pela população brasileira.

Access to medicines for chronic diseases in Brazil: a multidimensional approach.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To analyze the access to medicines to treat non-communicable diseases in Brazil according to socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related factors, from a multidimensional perspective.METHODS Analysis of data from the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM), household survey, sampling plan by conglomerates with representativeness of the Brazilian population and large areas of the country, according to sex and age domains. Data collected in 2013–2014 with sample of adults (≥ 20 years) who reported having non-communicable diseases and medical indication for use of medicines (n = 12,725). We assessed the prevalence of access to medicines for self-reported non-communicable diseases, considering four dimensions: availability, geographic accessibility, acceptability, and affordability. We applied Pearson’s Chi-square test to assess the statistical significance of the differences between strata, considering the level of significance of 5%. We found prevalence of 94.3%, 5.2%, and 0.5% for full, partial, and null access, respectively. Higher prevalence was observed among seniors in the South compared to the Northeast; for those who reported having one non-communicable disease compared to those who reported having two or more; for those who needed one medicine compared to those who needed three or more; and for those who self-assessed their health as good or very good. Geographic accessibility was similar in the Unified Health System and in the private pharmacies (72.0%). Total availability of medicines was 45.2% in the Unified Health System, 67.4% in the Popular Pharmacy Program, and 88.5% in private pharmacies. Acceptability was 92.5% in the Unified Health System, 97.8% in the Popular Pharmacy Program, and 98.7% in private pharmacies. As to affordability, 2.6% of the individuals failed to take the medicines they should in the 30-day period prior to the interview due to financial difficulty. Prevalence of full access to medicines for non-communicable diseases in Brazil is high and presents significant differences for age group, region of the country, number of non-communicable diseases, and for medicines prescribed and self-assessment of health. The major barriers to access to medicines were identified in the dimensions analyzed.

Access to and use of high blood pressure medications in Brazil.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To analyze the access to and use of medicines for high blood pressure among the Brazilian population according to social and demographic conditions.METHODS Analysis of data from Pesquisa Nacional Sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), a nationwide cross-sectional, population-based study, with probability sampling, carried out between September 2013 and February 2014 in urban households in the five Brazilian regions. The study evaluated the access and use of medicines to treat people with high blood pressure. The independent variables were gender, age, socioeconomic status and Brazilian region. The study also described the most commonly used drugs and the percentage of people treated with one, two, three or more drugs. Point estimations and confidence intervals were calculated considering the sample weights and sample complex plan.RESULTS Prevalence of high blood pressure was 23.7% (95%CI 22.8–24.6). Regarding people with this condition, 93.8% (95%CI 92.8–94.8) had indication for drug therapy and, of those, 94.6% (95%CI 93.5–95.5) were using the medication at the time of interview. Full access to medicines was 97.9% (95%CI 97.3–98.4); partial access, 1.9% (95%CI 1.4–2.4); and no access, 0.2% (95%CI 0.1–0.4). The medication used to treat high blood pressure, 56.0% (95%CI 52.6–59.2) were obtained from SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System), 16.0% (95%CI 14.3–17.9) from Popular Pharmacy Program, 25.7% (95%CI 23.4–28.2) were paid for by the patients themselves and 2.3% (95%CI 1.8–2.9) were obtained from other locations. The five most commonly used drugs were, in descending order, hydrochlorothiazide, losartan, captopril, enalapril and atenolol. Of the total number of patients on treatment, 36.1% (95%CI 34.1–37.1) were using two medicines and 13.5% (95%CI 12.3–14.9) used three or more.CONCLUSIONS Access to medicines for the treatment of high blood pressure may be considered high and many of them are available free of charge. The most commonly used drugs are among those recommended as first-line treatment for high blood pressure control. The percentage of people using more than one drug seems to follow the behavior observed in other countries.