Four out of 10 Peruvians buy medicines from private pharmacies despite having insurance

Currently public health sector insures 91% of Peruvians, according to a report by Videnza Consultores and ComexPerú, but the services provided are inefficient.

The study warns that the poor quality of care offered by the health sector primarily affects the most vulnerable populations.

“People with fewer resources must stand in long lines to get help in large hospitals population, given the emergency condition of the poles near their homes. 91% of those insured in public sector organizations receive ineffective or low-quality assistance, which does not solve their problems,” the report says.

One of the problems in this situation is the lack of medicines in hospitals, which means that low-income households spend up to 4.5 times more on health than other families.

“Given the problems of the national deficit, citizens at their own expense spent money on the purchase of medicines need or self-medicate, looking for a solution to their health problems,” they say.

At the same time, 43% of the insured who receive prescriptions from state institutions are forced to buy medicines in pharmacies and private pharmacies, since polyclinics are not provided with medicines.

It is estimated that only one of the two establishments doctors The first level of state aid has more than 80% supply of medicines.

Another problem reported by public health centers is the shortage of staff, as it has been observed that only one in two public health facilities have doctors at the first level of care.

In addition, nine out of 10 establishments do not have infrastructure nor adequate equipment, and paper records are used in the same proportion.