PROPOSAL OF A QUALITY ASSESSMENT TOOL INTENDED FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACIES WITH THE USE OF A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

Pharmacies play an important role in public health, as they may be the patient's first contact with the health system; therefore, it is essential to analyze the geographic distribution of these establishments and the quality of the activities thereof. The aim of this study was to develop a quality assessment tool regarding services provided in community pharmacies and to verify its implementation with the use of a geographic information system for the visualization of results. After a scientific literature review, a set of quality indicators were submitted to expert analysis. Based on the final matrix constructed, observational and self-administered questionnaires were developed and then responded by pharmacists and relevant assistants in pharmacies located in a city in the southeastern region of Brazil. The geographical coordinates of the pharmacies were collected and the study area was digitalized, with maps being created according to the quality ranking. The final matrix contained five dimensions of quality, covering 76 criteria considered important for the assessment of activities developed in the pharmacies as to the importance of access to their structures and processes available, expected to be effective and organized for the provision of adequate health care. Concerning the application of the instrument, the study identified neighborhoods that had only one pharmacy whose services were of low quality, a fact that demands attention and requires changes to prevent the population from being neglected in terms of access to important health interventions. The visualization of data on maps facilitated the assessment of quality and the identification of areas that need improvement.