title: Household expenditures for medicines and the role of free medicines in the Brazilian public health system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate, across different socioeconomic groups, the proportion of household medicine expenses that were paid by households and the proportion paid by the Brazilian national health system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a survey in Porto Alegre, Brazil, that included 2988 individuals of all ages. We defined 2 expenditure variables: "out-of-pocket medicines value" (the sum of retail prices of all medicines used by family members within the previous 15 days and paid for out of pocket) and "free medicines value" (a similar definition for medicines obtained without charge).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2003, the Brazilian national health system provided, free of charge, 78% of the monetary value of medicines reported (79% in the bottom wealth quintile and 32% in the top 2 quintiles). The mean out-of-pocket expense for medicines was 6 times greater among the top wealth quintiles compared with those in lower quintiles, but free medicines constituted a 3-times-greater proportion of potential expenditures for medicines among the bottom quintile than among the top 2 quintiles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Free provision of medicines seems to be saving substantial amounts of medicine expenditures for poor people in Brazil.
authors: Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Brazil. andreadamaso.epi@gmail.com
authors: Andréa D
authors: AD
authors: Bertoldi
authors: Aluísio J D
authors: AJ
authors: Barros
authors: Aline Lins
authors: AL
authors: Camargo
authors: Pedro C
authors: PC
authors: Hallal
authors: Sotiris
authors: S
authors: Vandoros
authors: Anita
authors: A
authors: Wagner
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: Ross-Degnan
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors