[Low-price glasses: Divinolândia (SP) experience].
BACKGROUND
In Divinolândia (SP), the Consortium of Development of São João da Boa Vista Region Policy (CONDERG), in partnership with State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), has founded an eyeglass store to produce low cost glasses to distribute freely to their customers. The purpose is to analyze the evolution and working process of CONDERG eyeglass store in the last 13 years, since its foundation.


METHODS
Data were collected from CONDERG store files from 1988 to 2001. Data regarding the amount of spectacles produced per year, ability to increase the production and store feasibility were analyzed.


RESULTS
In 13 years, 16,500 spectacles were supplied. Currently, 400 spectacles are delivered per month, being 200 supported by SUS and the other 200 by CONDERG's own resources.


CONCLUSIONS
The 13-year operation of CONDERG eyeglass store, the free provision of 16,500 spectacles and the increase productive ability have shown this model feasibility.
Machado
Maria Cecília
MC
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Campinas (SP) - Brasil. Cecília@conderg.org.br
Lourenço
José Leonardo Góes
JL
Figueiredo
Wagner de
Wd
Kara-José
Newton
N
D001938:Brazil; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies