Every third patient seeks medical care at a pharmacy, despite the insurance

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), the majority of Peruvians with health problems sought help from a pharmacy or pharmacist.

This population represents 20.5% of Peruvians or one in three patients, suggesting a significant increase in the use of pharmacies for healthcare over the past 18 years.

The Peruvian Institute of Economics (IPE) indicates that the percentage of patients seeking care in pharmacy tripled among EsSalud affiliates, from 8% in 2004 to 23% in 2022

With regard to Comprehensive Health Insurance (CMIS) participants, it is indicated that if earlier, in 2004, 6% sought medical care in pharmacies, then at present this practice is carried out by 32% of these patients.

Another important aspect that IPE warns about is that a third medicines and deliveries from the country have a supply of less than two months, which can interrupt the treatment of patients.

The situation also differs from region to region. In Tacna, 21% of medicines and consumables are in limited supply, while in Madre de Dios this figure reaches 48%.

For her part, Monica Muñoz-Najar, an economist at Red de Estudios para el Desarrollo (REDES), noted that up until 2019, it was estimated that Peruvians were spending more than S$11 billion a year on healthdespite having insurance.

Muñoz-Najar points out that 40% of the spending Peruvians make out of pocket on health care is related to spending on medicines.

“A person, despite the fact that he is a member of the CCC, spends more than 100 Singapore dollars a year. If he is insured with the Armed Forces and Police Health Insurance Fund, he spends over S$260 a year and at EsSalud he is also almost S/200 a year. For a family, this is almost S/1 thousand per year,” he told RPP.

The economist points out that this is due to poor quality health care system Peruvian, but what spawned it? Munoz-Najar emphasizes that one of the main problems is the issue of funding.

“Firstly, sufficient resources are not necessarily allocated, especially to the SIS, so that it can serve all branches, in principle, we are all insured. For branches, SIS receives only SGD 471 per year, while in Es Salud it receives twice as much. , – he said.