Financing of pharmaceutical services in Brazilian public health system

Abstract

Objectives. To describe and discuss developments in the financing of pharmaceutical services in the Brazilian public health system - SUS. Methods. The amounts allocated for drug procurement, for the Farmácia Popular Program and for structuring of public pharmaceutical services were identified. The values regarding the financing of the Federal government were obtained from the Siga Brasil database. Data regarding states, Federal District and municipalities were obtained from Information System on Public Health Budget - SIOPS. Results. Federal funds for drugs purchasing increased by 65.3% between 2005 and 2009. In the same period, the volume of transfers made to the subnational levels increased. It was found that the states and the Federal District have increased by 112.4% the volume of own resources allocated to the financing of drugs and for municipalities this growth was 22.7%. In 2008, the share of drug expenses in relation to expenditure on health was 7.8%. The total drug spending in 2009 was 8.9 billion reais. There was an increase of 20.6 times of the amount allocated in the Farmácia Popular Program, and a growth of 41.6% in the resources destined to structuring services, which reached 10.1 million reais in 2009. Conclusion. there was expansion of the funding of medicines in SUS between 2005 and 2009.