The Program focuses on the area of MEDICINES AND PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE, covering three lines of research: Medicines in Populations, Pharmaceutical Assistance and Pharmaco-economics. The lines of research shown here reflect the main fields of knowledge in the field, as do the projects and activities of the researchers involved in the PPGMAF.
MEDICINES IN POPULATIONS
This focuses on epidemiological, medical, economic, environmental and sociocultural aspects of medicine in populations. It is directed towards studies in the Use of Medicines, Pharmaco-epidemiology and Pharmacovigilance, and investigating the use and consequence of using pharmacological treatment resources on a large number of people. It seeks to produce knowledge that contributes to: I. the development process for new medicines; II. the assessment of medicine efficacy/effectiveness, including their molecular aspects; III. Pharmacovigilance actions, IV. the synthesis of scientific evidence for the development of, evaluation, implementation and maintenance of clinical protocols and drug treatment guidelines; V. the improvement of standards in the prescription and utilization of medicines in the population; VI. the evaluation of drug treatment results; VII. awareness of the socio-environmental consequences of discarding medicines. Quality analysis of the supply and use of medicines in a society, as well as consumer and health professional access to accurate information and to education on medicines and their use. It also studies inequalities in the health status of individuals and populations emphasizing social aspects, consumerism and medicalization of human health.
PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE
This involves studies on the Medicine and Pharmaceutical Assistance Policy as an integral part of the National Health Policy, involving a set of actions geared towards health and guaranteeing the principles of universality, integrality and equity in SUS. It adopts a systemic approach to the organization and management of Pharmaceutical Assistance, encompassing actions aimed at promoting, protecting and recovering health, with medicines being the essential input, including access and rational use. This set of actions involves the research, development and production of medicines and inputs, as well as their selection, programming, acquisition, distribution, quality guarantee, follow-up and evaluation of usage, from the perspective of improving the population’s quality of life. It includes Pharmaceutical Assistance, integrated to the health team with the aim of using pharmacotherapy in accordance with current scientific knowledge and the treatment options identified by the health team, including the medicine user. There is an investigation of the humanistic and clinical results of Pharmaceutical Assistance practice, seeking to establish the relation between people’s experience of using the medicines and the emergence of problems related to this use. It also studies the problems and environmental impact linked to the discarding and uncontrolled consumption of pharmaceutical products.
PHARMACO-ECONOMICS
This investigates the decision-making process from the perspective of SUS (National Health System), its complexity and the technical, political, social, cultural and ethical factors involved. It adopts the concepts of Health Practices Based on Evidence, with the employment of clinical epidemiological evidence to assist in the decision-making process. It carries out studies containing economic evaluations applied to medicines and pharmaceutical inputs, as well as field studies in the area of Pharmaceutical Assistance that focus on economic repercussions for the health services and systems. It describes and analyzes the costs of pharmaceutical treatment for the health systems and for society. It identifies and gauges the costs and consequences of pharmaceutical interventions. It uses methods to assess and compare the total costs of treatment options in order to support decision-making in medicine management. It provides information that is vital to the optimal allocation of healthcare resources.