- Preventing prescribing errors is critical to improving patient safety. - We developed an evidence brief for policy to identify effective interventions to avoid or reduce prescribing errors. - Four options were raised: promoting educational actions on prudent prescribing directed to prescribers; incorporating computerized alert systems into clinical practice; implementing the use of tools for guiding medication prescribing; and, encouraging patient care by a multidisciplinary team, with the participation of a pharmacist. - These options can be incorporated into health systems either alone or together, and for that, it is necessary that the context be considered. - Aiming to inform decision makers, we included considerations on the implementation of these options regarding upper-middle income countries, like the Brazilian, and we also present considerations regarding equity.

Background Maintaining sufficient health care workforce is a global priority to achieve universal health coverage. Therefore this study addresses the availability of physiotherapists in Brazil. Objective To describe secular trends of the physiotherapy workforce-to-population ratio in the Unified Health System, considering public and private sector and care level (primary, secondary, tertiary) in Brazil and its regions. Method Descriptive exploratory quantitative study based on secondary sources. All data related to the distribution of physiotherapists between August 2007 and September 2016 regarding facilities types, location and public and private sectors was obtained from the Brazilian National Registry of Health Care Facilities. Data related to the population of Brazil was extracted from Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The physiotherapy workforce-to-population ratio was calculated by the number of physiotherapists per 1000 population (public and private sector and care level) by ANOVA test. The distribution trends are represented on maps. Annual growth rates were estimated with Prais–Winsten linear regression models, with a significance level of 0.05, autocorrelation was checked by the Durbin–Watson test. Results The physiotherapists ratio in Brazil was 0.22/1000 population in 2007 and 0.41 in 2016, showing growth of 86%, with an increasing trend of 0.5% on an annual average. The public sector had the biggest physiotherapy workforce in the country in 2007 and 2016. The primary health care had the smallest physiotherapy workforce-to-population ratio (2007: p > 0.001 and 2016: p = 0.003), even though it had the largest growth trend in annual average (0.9% p > 0.001), followed by public and private tertiary health care sectors (0.8% p > 0.001). The workforce in secondary health care was bigger in the private sector than in the public sector (0.6% p > 0.001 vs. 0.2% p = 0.004). Overall, all regions had greater growth of physiotherapy workforce-to-population ratio in public primary and tertiary health care sectors, and private secondary health care sector, mainly the Southeast, South and Central-West regions. Conclusion Although the physiotherapy workforce in Brazil is relatively small, there was a trend towards growth with differences among care levels, and public and private sectors. The physiotherapy workforce-to-population ratio is bigger in the private secondary health care sector, followed by public tertiary, secondary and primary health care sectors. Sub-national regions show similar trends to the national estimates, with minor variations by region.

Objective: To develop a rapid review on effective actions for the promotion of breastfeeding and healthy complementary feeding in primary health care and to summarize a list of actions and their elements for implementation. Data source: The review included systematic reviews on the effectiveness of interventions to promote breastfeeding and/or healthy complementary feeding for mothers and other caregivers, and/or professionals who work with this population, in comparison with any usual approach or none. Data synthesis: A total of 32 systematic reviews were included in the evidence synthesis. Ten types of interventions were evaluated in systematic reviews on promotion of breastfeeding and four types of interventions on promotion of healthy complementary feeding. The synthesis allowed six aspects to be discussed, and these must be considered to increase the chances of interventions’ impact: type of intervention, target audience, timing of intervention, actors that can implement it, strategies and methods of intervention, and intensity of intervention. Conclusions: It was possible to assemble a list of actions whose effectiveness has already been demonstrated, providing elements for local adaptations. Evidence is expected to support and strengthen the implementation of programs aimed at promoting breastfeeding and complementary feeding in primary health care.

Resumo A resistência aos antimicrobianos é um problema mundial que põe em risco a segurança da saúde da população. O objetivo deste artigo é identificar e avaliar estratégias para prevenção e controle de resistência microbiana, bem como barreiras para sua implementação em serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Realizou-se uma síntese de evidências para políticas. As buscas de evidências foram realizadas entre novembro/dezembro de 2018, em 13 bases de dados. Um diálogo deliberativo foi realizado para validação dos resultados e levantamento de barreiras e facilitadores para implementação das estratégias. As 13 revisões sistemáticas incluídas mostraram que intervenções com foco em educação, uso de sistemas eletrônicos e biomarcadores reduziram o consumo e prescrição de antimicrobianos. É um obstáculo à implementação a expectativa de usuários/cuidadores em receber prescrição de antibióticos, e são facilitadores as ações educativas que envolvem profissionais de saúde. O uso racional de medicamentos se impõe na APS com vistas à prevenção da resistência dos microrganismos aos antibióticos. As intervenções identificadas neste estudo podem ser implementadas isoladamente ou em conjunto, conforme o contexto local.

Objetivo. Identificar intervenções efetivas para enfrentar a resistência a antimicrobianos em hospitais e possíveis barreiras para sua implementação. Métodos. Realizou-se uma síntese de evidências para a elaboração de políticas com base na metodologia proposta nas ferramentas SUPPORT. As buscas na literatura foram realizadas em novembro e dezembro de 2018, em 14 bases de dados. Um diálogo deliberativo, para identificar barreiras na implementação das intervenções, foi realizado presencialmente com 23 participantes (gestores, pesquisadores e profissionais de saúde) e 14 ouvintes, divididos em três grupos. A moderação foi feita por pesquisadores com experiência na condução de diálogos deliberativos. Resultados. Foram identificadas 27 revisões sistemáticas sobre intervenções para gestão de antimicrobianos (programas de stewardship) combinadas e individuais. Essas intervenções abordaram estratégias de educação, sistemas eletrônicos, biomarcadores e diversas formas de manejo de antimicrobianos. As principais barreiras para a implementação das intervenções, identificadas por meio da literatura e do diálogo deliberativo, foram: falta de infraestrutura e recursos humanos, insatisfação do paciente em relação à conduta terapêutica; diferenças culturais da equipe multidisciplinar; sobrecarga de trabalho da equipe; falta de financiamento/planejamento. Conclusão. A maioria das estratégias identificadas mostrou-se efetiva para gestão da resistência aos antimicrobianos em âmbito hospitalar. Deve-se enfatizar que a confiança nos resultados pode ser melhorada com novas pesquisas de maior qualidade metodológica.