Acolhimento e (des)medicalização social: um desafio para as equipes de saúde da família

This article discusses the relation between sheltering practice and social medicalization in the primary care. It begins with a revision about social medicalization and mentions some influences concerning the organization of the Brazilian primary care. It also indicates that the ground of receptivity proposal was provided by those influences. It argues the potentiality to accomplish the sheltering with a demedicalization and interdisciplinary action and its reverse effect, when restricted simply to emergency medic care. There are hereby suggested changes in the management and organization of routines, agendas as well as collective and individuals activities of the professionals with the intention to reduce medicalization. The conclusion favors the expansion of experimentation on sheltering as a strategy in dealing with unexpected events and with primary care spontaneous demand, always watching out for its medicalization potential.