Access to medicines in patients with breast cancer: A narrative review of the literature

Summary Introduction: Currently, there is a global problem related to access to essential medicines by populations, which is why international organizations such as the Panamerican Health Organization and the World Health Organization have expressed their concern to guarantee the right to health for all, especially for those who suffer pathologies with high prevalence and mortality such as breast cancer, so it is of great interest to explore access barriers. Aim: To conduct a narrative synthesis to identify elements that may have an impact on access and use of medicines for the treatment of breast cancer. Methodology: a narrative review was carried out, it consisted of five phases: I) bibliographic search, II) review of titles and abstracts, III) full text review, IV) selection of references, and V) descriptive analysis. Results: Individual barriers to access were identified, such as low purchasing power in patients, low educational level, long travel requirements to obtain medicines, and elements of social discrimination. On the other hand, at the institutional and health system level, difficulties were detected in the procedures to access treatments, lack of coordination between institutions, barriers in price regulation, and little availability of medicines. Conclusions: The findings offer an approach to proposing solutions and alternatives for the structuring of public health policies that guarantee access to breast cancer medicines to patients who require it.