[Supply of essential drugs in units specialized in the treatment of chronic diseases in Mexico in 2012].
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the supply of essential drugs and the fully filled-in prescription level in the Units Specialized in the Treatment of Chronic Diseases (UNEMES-EC) in Mexico.


METHODS
The supply and prescription indicators were measured in 30 of the 86 existing UNEMES-EC. The supply of drugs was recorded using a list of 17 essential drugs related to the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, overweight and obesity. The information on fully filled-in prescriptions was obtained through a questionnaire applied to 1 200 health care users.


RESULTS
Only 13.3% of these units showed a complete supply of the 17 essential drugs: Supply levels were higher in units with external drugstore service. 35% of the interviewed patients reported out-of-pocket expenditures in medicines.


CONCLUSIONS
UNEMES-EC should improve their levels of drug supply and fully filled-in prescriptions to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures.
David
D
Contreras-Loya
Dirección de Investigación, Hospital General de México, México, DF.
Arturo
A
Reding-Bernal
Centro de Investigaciones en Sistemas de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
Octavio
O
Gómez-Dantés
Dirección General de Evaluación del Desempeño, Secretaría de Salud, México, DF.
Esteban
E
Puentes-Rosas
Dirección General de Evaluación del Desempeño, Secretaría de Salud, México, DF.
Dayana
D
Pineda-Pérez
Centro de Investigación en Evaluación y Encuestas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
Manuel
M
Castro-Tinoco
Centro de Investigaciones en Sistemas de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
Francisco
F
Garrido-Latorre
D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018954:Drugs, Essential / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico
D018954:Drugs, Essential