Small doses of a great challenge: 26 recommendations for pediatric pharmaceutical services in Brazil

Abstract

Three important Brazilian Policies - Medicamentos (PNM), Assistência Farmacêutica (PNAF) e Atenção Integral à Saúde da Criança (PNAISC) - published between 1998 and 2015 emphasized that appropriate technologies should be ensured in pediatric care. In October of 2015 the Pharmaceutical Services (PS) Working Group was established in Pediatrics, by the Ministry of Health, which discussed and proposed guidelines and strategies to make medicines and formulas effective and safe for Brazilian children. This article describes the construction of the first product of the aforementioned group, a document on PS in Pediatrics in Brazil with 8 axes and 26 recommendations published at the end of 2017 after six meetings with 48 experts representing the government, regulatory agencies, associations, scientific societies and universities. It is understood that the dissemination and debate about strategies in the scope of (i) research, (ii) development and production of medicines, (iii) sanitary regulation of medicines, (iv) incorporation of technologies, (v) funding and access to medicines, (vi) transformation, derivation and other actions of manipulation and preparation of pediatric doses, (vii) clinical guidelines, care and safety in the use of medication and (viii) training and education for the rational use of medicines in pediatrics constitute a promising action to open new paths in pediatric care in the country.