Evaluating pharmaceutical services for people living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Rio de Janeiro

This study evaluates access by people living with HIV/AIDS to pharmaceutical care provided by public health care facilities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, focusing on availability, accessibility, and accommodation. The evaluation was conducted using the implementation analysis approach, assessing the process of producing intervention outcomes, considering its relationship to the organizational context. A case study was performed in 11 public health facilities selected according to: different health program areas; diverse levels of complexity; and more than 100 HIV/AIDS patients registered. The degree of implementation (89%) was considered acceptable. Problems with human resources skills and lack of a quality program were identified. Some limitations of the indicators are discussed. Finally, the study highlights the importance of this kind of evaluation as a methodology for continuous monitoring of quality in pharmaceutical care.