title: Access to Medicines by Seguro Popular Beneficiaries: Pending Tasks towards Universal Health Coverage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the context of aiming to achieve universal health coverage in Mexico, this study compares access to prescribed medicines (ATPM) between Seguro Popular (SP) and non-SP affiliated outpatient health service users.
  
  
  METHODS
  ATPM by 6,123 users of outpatient services was analyzed using the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012. Adjusted bi-probit models were performed incorporating instrumental variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  17.3% of SP and 10.1% of the non-SP population lacked ATPM. Two-thirds of all outpatient SP and 18.5% of all outpatient non-SP received health services at Ministry of Health facilities, among whom, 64.6 and 53.6% of the SP and non-SP population respectively reported ATPM at these facilities. Lack of medicines in health units, chronic health problems (compared to acute conditions) and prescription ≥3 medicines were risk factors for non-ATPM. Adjusted models suggest that when using Ministry of Health services, the SP population has a higher probability of ATMP compared to the non-SP population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the aspirations of achieving universal health coverage in Mexico, it is important to increase ATPM in Ministry of Health facilities thereby ensuring basic rights to health care are met.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Servan-Mori
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heredia-Pi
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montañez-Hernandez
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Avila-Burgos
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico; Department for Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, United States of America.
authors.forename: Veronika J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Wirtz
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008962:Models, Theoretical