Acceso a medicamentos y gastos de bolsillo en pacientes con trastornos y traumatismos musculoesqueléticos en el Hospital de Lima Este – Vitarte

Objective: To evaluate access to medicines and out-of-pocket expenses among patients treated at the Lima Este – Vitarte Hospital. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 58 patients selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered via Google Forms and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics v.25. The instrument showed high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89). Results: A total of 62.1% of participants reported incomes equal to or below the minimum wage, and 49.3% stated that medication prices limited their access to treatment. Only 8.6% reported that all prescribed medicines were available at the hospital pharmacy. Conclusions: Significant gaps in access to medicines and a high burden of out-of-pocket expenditure were identified, highlighting the need to strengthen public policies aimed at improving drug supply and financial protection within the public health system.