The role of public producers of medicines and strategic actions in the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

In the Covid-19 pandemic, public pharmaceutical laboratories gained greater visibility as a result of their initiatives to fight the disease and maintain the various Pharmaceutical Assistance programs. The article aimed to analyze their realities in order to understand their strategic character for the SUS, highlighting the Butantan, Bio-Manguinhos and Farmanguinhos Institutes, given the leading role in relation to vaccines and medicines, respectively. Through a multiple case study, with a qualitative-descriptive approach, it presented data that indicate the change in profile that has been demonstrated in recent decades and identified the most relevant actions in fighting the pandemic, having December 2020 as the cutoff date. As a result it brought current information about its activities and products, stage of Partnerships for Productive Development, staff, weaknesses (internal and external) and current challenges. It is concluded by the importance of these State Institutions to guarantee universal access to SUS and the development and production of medicines and essential health products, involving from the most basic to those of greater complexity and added value, however, there is a necessary agenda of changes, aiming at long-term sustainability and expanding the contribution to strengthening the Economic-Industrial Health Complex.