Abstract

GRANADOS-COSME, José Arturo et al. A qualitative approach to drug supply in Mexico: evaluation in the services for population with no medical insurance. Salud pública Méx [online]. 2011, vol.53, suppl.4, pp.458-469. ISSN 0036-3634.

OBJECTIVE. To identify the main problems that the drug supply chain (DSCh) faces in the state health systems (SHS); establishing how they relate to the degree of outsourcing. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Officials of the SHS hospitals and health centers were interviewed in a sample of 12 entities during the first half of 2008. Transcripts of the interviews were processed through the qualitative analysis program Atlas.ti 5.0; the analysis was aimed at reconstructing the phases of DSCh for identifying problems narrated by informants using the phenomenological approach to discourse analysis. RESULTS. There is a marked tendency to replace the conventional model by one that is characterized by greater involvement of private providers; all the models show specific problems that might be derived from the degree of outsourcing. CONCLUSION. The supply of drugs in the studied SHS differ from the pattern implemented according to the modality adopted; outsourcing is not exempt of problems and does not seem to fully resolve the difficulties encountered in conventional ways.

Keywords : drugs provision; access to medicines; privatization; Mexico.