Access to medicines and out-of-pocket expenses in patients with musculoskeletal disorders and injuries at the Lima Este – Vitarte Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35563/rmp.v15i1.688Keywords:
Out-of-pocket expenditure, Access to medicines, Musculoskeletal disorders, PeruAbstract
Objective: To evaluate access to medicines and out-of-pocket expenses among patients treated at the Lima Este – Vitarte Hospital.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 58 patients selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered via Google Forms and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics v.25. The instrument showed high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89).
Results: A total of 62.1% of participants reported incomes equal to or below the minimum wage, and 49.3% stated that medication prices limited their access to treatment. Only 8.6% reported that all prescribed medicines were available at the hospital pharmacy.
Conclusions: Significant gaps in access to medicines and a high burden of out-of-pocket expenditure were identified, highlighting the need to strengthen public policies aimed at improving drug supply and financial protection within the public health system.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Reyes-Valdivia, Diego Martín, Reyes-Valdivia, Carlos Alberto
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