Comportamiento de la asistencia prestada al paciente en las farmacias comunitarias de Ciudad de La Habana, 1997

a cross-sectional descriptive study was designed in order to characterize the attention given to patients in the pharmacies at the primary health care level in havana city. a randomized sample of 4 municipalities (centro habana, arroyo naranjo, playa and guanabacoa) was selected by a combined sampling based on the cluster technique proposed by the world health organization. 2 400 individuals were included. a questionnaire was applied to each of them by previously trained pollsters and those variables necessary to calculate the indicators were collected. a delay of 30 min or less between the consultation and the drug purchase was observed in almost 60 % of the persons. 82 % of the drugs indicated in the physician's office were sold at the pharmacies of the province. one third of the patients did not receive the total of drugs prescribed. 95 % of the patients had a method for the administration of drugs. 97 % of the individuals that went to the pharmacy to buy the drugs indicated were satisfied with the attention received.