The use of medications by incarcerated women: an exploratory study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the use of medicines by women deprived of their liberty in a municipality in the east of Minas Gerais. Method: The research was conducted in three stages: (I) documentary investigation, (II) analysis of medical records, and (III) application of semi-structured questionnaires. Women deprived of liberty who were part of the prison system evaluated participated in the study. The research was carried out between June 2020 and June 2021. Result: Seventeen women deprived of their liberty participated in the study, most of them black and brown (88.24%), between 30 and 49 years old (n = 9; 52.9%), and who used a total of 56 different medications, with the psychotropic class being the most prevalent (n = 28; 50%), followed by cardiovascular system drugs (n = 15; 26.8%). Conclusion: The medications most used by study participants belonged to the class of antidepressants and antiepileptics. Furthermore, the women’s medical records lacked crucial information regarding medication use. These data, combined with difficulties in access, highlight the importance of complying with public policies in favor of comprehensive health care for women deprived of their liberty, especially the right to access and rational use of medicines.