Access to medicines for diabetes treatment in Brazil: evaluation of "health has no price" program.

Background: In 2011, private pharmacies associated to the Brazilian Ministry of Health provided patients with two types of insulin (regular human insulin and isophane insulin or NPH) and three oral antidiabetic medications (5 mg glibenclamide and 500 and 850 mg metformin) free of charge. The aim was to evaluate the impact of the "Health Has No Price" Program [Saúde Não Tem Preço (SNTP)] for access to diabetes treatment medicines in Brazil.

Methods: This longitudinal and observational study is based on the number of units of oral hypoglycemic agents, insulin and insulin analogues supplied in 55,000 private pharmacies from February 1, 2010 to January 31, 2012.

Access to antihypertensive agents in Brazil: evaluation of the "health has no price" program.

Purpose: This article aims to evaluate access to antihypertensive agents during the first year of the "Health Has No Price" Program (Saúde Não Tem Preço [SNTP]) in Brazil.

Methods: A longitudinal and observational study was performed based on the number of antihypertensive medications supplied in 55,000 private pharmacies distributed throughout the Brazilian territory during the period February 1, 2010, through January 31, 2012. The number of antihypertensive pills supplied in the first 12 months of the SNTP Program was compared with the number of pills supplied in the 12 months before its implementation.