An economic analysis of the lawsuits filed against municipality in southern Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To present an economic analysis of the lawsuits filed against medium-sized municipality. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study based on documents analysis from lawsuits filed in 2010 against a municipality. Results: Most of legal actions were represented by private attorneys and contained prescriptions provided by private physicians. Advance relief was granted to 88.8% of these actions. The drug/patient cost through the courts was around 200 times higher than expenses with basic component drugs of pharmaceutical care. 50.0% of the total cost with drugs acquired through the courts were represented by antineoplastic agents and immunomodulators drugs, which were provided to only 8.0% of the litigant patients. Drugs present in the specialized pharmaceutical assistance component and innovative drugs represented, respectively, 36.8% and 16.0% of the total cost. Conclusions: Drugs requested by legal proceedings have an average cost per patient much higher if compared to the basic component of pharmaceutical care. Significant portion of this cost is related to the new drug application, as well as antineoplastic agents and immunomodulators drugs.