Impactos da pandemia de COVID-19 na gestão da assistência farmacêutica: uma análise estratégica e necessária

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic requires the public authorities to adopt several actionsto preserve the population’s health, demanding the reorganization of several services,such as the management of Pharmaceutical Assistance (PA). The study objective was to map the risks that most impacted PA management in the first years of the pandemic, generating data to guide improvements in the Brazilian service. Throughobjective criteria based on the essential activity of each PA cycle’s step,the risks were identified in the literature, described,and classified according to theirpotential to affectPA steps.The situational analysis was carried out by applying theSWOT matrix in the PA steps that suffered highestimpact from the mapped risks. Selection and programming were the most impacted of the six risks mapped from the pandemic scenario. Support andreinforcementof technical commissions and technological infrastructure, usingdata for decision-making and predictive actions, are opportunities toimprove management in the analyzed context. Recognizing and carrying out PA management planning, reviewing scenarios,and redirecting actions in the short and medium term, becomes a strategic and necessary instrument for coping with health emergencies.