Pharmaceutical expense analysis in patients who have chronic diseases attending a Primary Care Unit

Abstract

Objectives: to analyze the relationship of Primary Care Teams (PCT) with achieved coverage in patients’ care with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, as well as the pharmaceutical expense during the same period of evaluation. Methods: it was made a descriptive and retrospective study with 19 Primary Care teams from the Cartagena Health Area. The study was made from October 1st 2007 to September 30th 2008. Measurements were global and divided in health zones: coverage in high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chapter IV global expenses and by therapeutic group. Results: the expense for specific drugs for Diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia accounted for a total of $35,586,917.79 mx which represents the 35.77% of the total pharmaceutical expense of the area. Conclusions: the expense in specific drugs (high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia) is an important issue in the global pharmaceutical expense. The pharmaceutical expense depends more on the total of the attended population than the rural or urban status. The treatment of diabetic and high blood pressure patients
has a greater impact in the expense than the treatment of the dyslipidemic patient.