2022-06-132022-06-132014BALDONI, André de Oliveira et al. Dificuldades de acesso aos serviços farmacêuticos pelos idosos. Revista de Ciências Farmacêuticas Básica e Aplicada, Araraquara, v. 35, n. 4, p. 615-621, 2014.1808-4532http://repositorio.bc.ufg.br/handle/ri/20853The aim of this study was to analyze the access to pharmaceutical services by the elderly provided by the Unified Health System in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto – SP, Brazil, as well as their knowledge about the correct form of using the prescribed medication. A cross sectional study was performed with elderly patients aged 60 years and older in the moment that they withdrawal their medications at a public pharmacy in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto – SP. A standardized form was used for data collection performed between November 2008 and May 2009. We interviewed 1000 elderly, of which less than half (46.8%) acquired all the medications contained in the prescription through the Unified Health System. In addition, 31.3% of the interviewees did not acquired the prescribed medication by a lack of at least one medication in the standardized list of the municipality. More than 87.4% of the elderly claimed they did not receive guidance from the pharmacist in the moment of drug dispensing, 37.1% reported a lack of knowledge of the correct dosage form of the medications used and 62,2% of the elderly interviewed stopped using the prescribed medication once during the treatment period. It is noteworthy that 15.8% of the respondents have also private health insurance. Access barriers to prescribed medication and the lack of knowledge about the dosage highlight deficiencies with respect to pharmaceutical services offered by the Unified Health System of Ribeirão Preto – SPporAcesso AbertoIdosoMedicamentos essenciaisSistema Único de SaúdeAssistência farmacêuticaQualidadeAcesso e avaliação da assistência à saúdeAgedAccess and evaluationDrugsHealth care qualityUnified Health SystemPharmaceutical servicesEssentialArtigo