Distributive justice in the use of specialized health services and access to medication

Abstract

When speaking of chronic illnesses and the public health system, the lack of resources is on the agenda. The study analyzed the referencing and access to medication in individuals assisted by the State Public Service Hiperdia. It is a transversal study, with 250 individuals referred for this secondary level of attention to hypertension and diabetes. The study investigated biological criteria, access to medicine, socio-demographic and economic profile and health condition. The level of statistical significance was 5%. The correct referencing was 64.0%, although incorrect for nearly half of those that used municipal public transportation. The total access to medicine (69.6%) was associated with the lowest family incomes (p < 0.05). The discussion, based on the principle of distributive justice, was concluded by recommending better training of professionals in referencing assistance services, with a reduction of waste in public transport and specialized attention, because such investment should be reverted to a wider distribution of medicine.