Gerenciamento de medicamentos e materiais em unidades de atenção primária em saúde em um município paranaense

Abstract

Implementing adequate logistics is critical to public services. In the face of scarce resources in public health, it is increasingly necessary to improve the logistics of medicines and materials. Neglect and lack of managerial control are inefficient causes of public services, and strategies are needed to improve management and reduce expenditures. Within public health, primary care has become fundamental in the reorientation of services, constituting itself as the gateway to the Unified Health System (SUS). The present study aims to discuss the management of drugs and materials within the primary care units of a municipality in the interior of Paraná. The nurses responsible for the health units answered a questionnaire regarding the logistics of medicines and materials of the health units, in order to verify on the perspective of these professionals how these health supplies are managed. Of the 16 health units in the municipality, 13 answered the questionnaire. Through the results, it was possible to verify that the activities of medication and material management still need to be improved in primary care, especially in inventory control. The absence of stock control was reported in 31% of the units in relation to the drugs and in 33% in the materials. Lack of stock control is closely intertwined with health shortages and waste. It is essential that health professionals and the manager are attentive and seeking improvements in the work process regarding the logistics of medicines and materials, as well as other health inputs, for a rationalization of public resources and improvements in the quality of care.