Cost of proton pump inhibitor treatment and socioeconomic factors: a spatial analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-7262.rmrp.2025.224549Keywords:
Proton pump inhibitors, Spatial interaction models, Pharmaceutical economicsAbstract
Introduction: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used medications for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and generally exhibit therapeutic equivalence. However, the acquisition of these medications can be hindered by socioeconomic disparities across different regions within the same city. Objective: To characterize the consumption profile of PPIs and its relationship with the socio-economic characteristics of the place of residence in a capital city in Northeastern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 295 patients who acquired PPIs from a private network of community pharmacies comprising twenty-two units. Data were obtained through structured interviews, statistically analyzed, and combined with geospatial analyses to correlate the place of residence, income, and PPI acquisition. Results: 86.8% of acquisitions were made with medical prescription issued by gastroenterologists (50.7%), mainly for dyspepsia and gastroesophageal reflux (78.5%). Socioeconomic data revealed a predominance of patients with incomes below five minimum wages (70.1%). However, no spatial autocorrelation was identified between PPI prescriptions and the analyzed socioeconomic variables. Conclusions: The study identified no spatial autocorrelation between socioeconomic variables and PPI use. Areas with a higher HDI exhibit a favorable profile for acquiring these medications, while those with a lower HDI face challenges in doing so. However, this discrepancy has not been considered in prescribing practices, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas, potentially limiting access to appropriate pharmacotherapy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lorena Maria Lima de Araújo, Maria Vivyanne de Moura Lopes, Larissa Cândido Gomes da Silva, Kaliany Adja Medeiros de Araújo, Rafael Silva de Arruda, Yonara Monique da Costa Oliveira, Rand Randall Martins
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
