Pharmaceutical poverty: The cost of organizing medication

Following a medical plan correctly helps us improve our health and prevent risks in the future. However, the lack of resources when managing medication can affect our health.

Before the arrival of the coronavirus, approximately 10% of the population suffered difficulties in acquiring their medication. Now, after the pandemic, it is estimated that the figure reaches 30%.

In this article we explain what pharmaceutical poverty is and why it is so important to detect it early.

You may also be interested adherence to medical treatment.

1. What is pharmaceutical poverty?
2. Who is affected by pharmaceutical poverty?
3. Coronavirus: The trigger of pharmacological poverty.
4. How does it impact society?
5. What resources exist for those who cannot afford medication?

What is pharmaceutical poverty?

Many media outlets have echoed the problems that come with energy poverty, as well as child and food poverty. These situations are based on a state of social precariousness where the affected people do not have access to essential goods and services.

However, there is a type of social emergency not yet recognized by the public administration, and that therapeutic adherence significantly decreases. Therefore, we are talking about a problem that affects the health of those who suffer from it.

This is pharmaceutical poverty, that is,the inability to meet the costs of medical treatment. These costs are usually allocated to drugs and health products, such as utensils or accessories that support monitoring.

Therefore, not being able to meet the cost of daily feedings, the organizing your medication suffers alterations and the treatment may no longer be effective.

Who is affected by this situation?

We are talking about people who usually require social benefits, and who have difficulty reaching the amount of their treatment. It mainly affects people who have lost their jobs or whose income is insufficient. We also find pensioners and low incomes.

On the other hand, this group is usually made up of patients with serious illnesses, whose ailments restrict their abilities and where adherence plays an important role.

We are seeing serious patients who have been re-admitted to the hospital because they cannot do pharmacological treatments.

We are talking about a recurring and necessary cost. Not having access to it implies a clear lack ofpharmacological adherence, and, consequently, it also has a detrimental impact on the health of many citizens.

As we can see, the lack of pharmacological organization represents a social emergency. Laura Morro, representative of the health commission of the Col·legi de Treball Social de Catalunya (TSCAT), explains it like this:

"We are seeing serious patients who have been re-admitted to the hospital because they cannot do pharmacological treatments. We have cases every day: covid patients who leave the ICU with multisystem involvement and who are discharged get worse, diabetics who cannot afford insulin, mental health, heart, and lung patients... "

Coronavirus: The trigger of pharmacological poverty.

Before the coronavirus arrived, I could already see a lack in access to and organization of medication in many Spanish homes. Specifically, we are talking about more than 1,400,000 people, according to CIS estimates.

However, with the arrival of the pandemic this situation has worsened. Proof of this are the statements of Homero Val, head of the Social Medicines Fund at the NGO Banco Farmacéutico:

"Many people must choose between eating or taking medication, and Covid-19 is not democratic, it does not affect everyone equally."

According to the NGO's own data, the lack of resources in medication management has led to a growth in pharmaceutical poverty of 30%.

How does it impact society?

When we talk about pharmaceutical poverty, there are two types of consequences to take into account. On the one hand, we see the general consequences, that is, those that the state must assume. On the other hand, what patients see individually.

By comparing them, we can deduce the importance of all of us being able to fill the weekly pillbox and organize our medications according to medical recommendations.

General consequences: These are all those oversights or changes in treatment that cause direct harm to the patient. These may be nausea, malaise, or worsening of the illness.

Individual Consequences: There are countless repercussions for all those who cannot follow the prescribed medical plan. However, we can number 3 fundamental aspects to take into account.

• • • Development of serious diseases due to not being able to treat ailments in their initial stages.
    • Do not invest in other essential products and services
    • Deterioration of therapeutic adherence, and lack of treatment effectiveness.

What resources exist for those who cannot afford medication?

We talk about co-payment when a person must pay a percentage of the cost of their medication. Your employment situation, as well as the conditions in which you find yourself, will determine whether or not you must pay for the prescribed treatment.

HereYou can find a comparative table offered by the OCU to know what percentage you will have to pay if you have to make a co-payment.

In general, you should know that, in the case of people whose income is less than €18,000, they will only have to pay 40% of the total price. However, not everyone can afford that financial burden.

For all those people who have difficulties when it comes to facing the co-payment, there are alternatives that can lighten this burden. Below we leave you some interesting options:

In order to help all those who require it, IMA is committed to promoting therapeutic adherence through its service:

The organization of the shots and delivery at the door of the house.

Disclaimer: At IMA we offer advice and information about our products. Consult with an expert before making any decision that may affect your health.