Use of antihypertensive and antidiabetic medications in Brazil: an analysis of socioeconomic differences. National Health Survey, 2013.

OBJECTIVES To analyze the socioeconomic and demographic differences in medication use to control hypertension and diabetes mellitus in Brazil. METHOD Data from the National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde - PNS) performed in Brazil in 2013 with a representative sample of the population aged 18years old or older were analyzed. The use of medications for hypertension and diabetes according to income, education, race, possession of a private health insurance plan and region of household were estimated. Theprevalence ratios adjusted for sex and age were also estimated using Poisson regression. RESULTS 81.4% of the hypertensive population used medication to control the disease. The use was higher among females, white/Caucasian individuals and those with a private health plan. In the case of diabetes mellitus, 80.2% of the population used medication to control the disease and the use was higher in elderly patients, patients with a higher level of education, patients with a private health plan, and patients in the Southeast region. Inequalities according to income and health plan were small even in the strata of sex, age and geographic region analyzed. CONCLUSION We found a high use of medication to control hypertension and diabetes. Socioeconomic inequalities in use were not expressive, probably due to medication policies that promote greater and equitable access to medicines in Brazil.