Access to medicines and patient satisfaction in healthcare facilities: A cross-sectional study of a Peruvian population-based survey

INTRODUCTION Shortage of medicines in Peruvian healthcare facilities is a significant public health issue that may affect patient satisfaction. OBJECTIVE To estimate the association between access to medicines and the level of satisfaction with the received care from users of healthcare facilities in Peru during 2016. METHODS An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2016 National Survey of User Satisfaction in Health (ENSUSALUD). Access to medicines at the healthcare facilities' pharmacy and patient satisfaction were measured using self-report questions. Crude and adjusted ordinal logistic regression models were used to estimate Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The complex sample design of the 2016 National Health User Satisfaction Survey was considered in all calculations. RESULTS Data from 10 386 healthcare facility users were included. After receiving medical care, 19.6% had partial access to medications, 6.8% had no access, and 6% were dissatisfied with the care received. Users with partial access to drugs had 87% higher odds of dissatisfaction (Odds ratio: 1.87; 95% confidence interval: 1.56 to 2.23), while users without access to medications had 51% higher odds of dissatisfaction (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.16), compared to users with full access to drugs, adjusted for confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS Patients with limited access to medicine at pharmacies in Peruvian healthcare facilities reported higher dissatisfaction with the care received.