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Background: The judicialization of the acquisition of medication for healthcare is not restricted to Brazil but can also be found in other Latin American countries, despite the existence of a universal health system in the case of Brazil, the Unified Health System (known as the SUS). Right-to-medicines litigation has existed ever since the emergence of a high demand for treatment of Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) but the current focus is on cancer. Pharmaceutical Assistance (PA) is the area within the SUS that is responsible for ensuring access to medication and the aim of this article is thus to draw up a profile of litigation related to PA in one economically significant state in the Northeast Region of Brazil, in terms of the following characteristics of lawsuits: the plaintiff filing the lawsuit; medical and health information; the cost of acquiring the requested medications; and the proportion accounted for by spending on antineoplastic drugs.Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted of lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2018 at the Litigation Center of the State of Pernambuco Department of Health.Results: A total of 2,947 lawsuits containing at least one requested medication were analyzed. The majority of the plaintiffs were male (51.7%); 49.8% of the requests originated in the Unified Health System (SUS), and plaintiffs were primarily patients in the Metropolitan region of the State capital, Recife. The most frequent cancers involved were those classified by the ICD as C61, C71 and C50. The median general expense on medications for the actions was U$1,734.94. Considering antineoplastic drugs alone, the cost exceeded U$7,500 per lawsuit over the three years, given that the median unit price for antineoplastic drugs is approximately US$65 compared to US$4 for non-antineoplastic drugs.Conclusion: The present study is of relevance to the field of public health and examines how a profile of such healthcare litigation can be used as a tool for managing and improving decision-making in times of economic austerity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study analyzed the effects of austerity and economic crisis on the financing of oral health, provision and use of public services and access to exclusively dental plans in Brazil, from 2003 to 2018. A retrospective, descriptive study was carried out, with a quantitative approach. Data were collected from the National Health Funding database, the National Supplementary Health Agency, the Strategic Management Support Room, and from the e-manager system. The federal fund-to-fund transfer was increasing from 2003 to 2010 and remained stable from 2011 to 2018. The supply decreased at the end of the period, with reduced coverage of the first programmatic dental appointment, average supervised tooth brushing and number of endodontic treatments. Against the background of the public financial crisis, exclusively dental plan companies expanded the market from 2.6 million users in 2000 to 24.3 million in 2018, with a profit of more than R$ 240 million. Fiscal austerity has a strong influence on the use of public dental services in Brazil, which can benefit the private market and widen inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brazil's national oral health policy, established in 2004, is considered the largest public policy in this segment worldwide. Objective: To analyze the National Oral Health Policy of Brazil under the theory of the cycle of public policies. Methods: This was a qualitative study based on the policy cycle, which sought to analyze the cycle of the Brazilian National Oral Health Policy. Two methods were used to collect the data: the documentary analysis and the performance of semi-structured interviews. Results: Although the oral health problems of the Brazilian population have long been recognized, it was in 2003 that a window of opportunity was opened for this topic to occupy the agenda of priorities of the Federal Government. Established in 2004, the policy has advanced in coverage of basic and specialized services in the national territory, serving priority populations. From the year 2016, however, one can perceive its stagnation given the Brazilian political-economic conjuncture. Conclusions: The results of the interventions show a considerable improvement in the oral health indicators; and an increase in the population coverage served by oral health services and services, facts that recommend the continuity of the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]