The objective of this study was to analyze the trajectories of users from Itajaí, Santa Catarina State who receive medications by legal writ against the State of Santa Catarina, their reasons, and their views on this form of access to medications. The methodology consisted of semi-structured interviews with users who requested medications in the year of 2006. Eighteen users were located and agreed to take part in the study. None of the interviewees was aware that they could charge the State for the medication before being advised by their doctor (39%), the Secretary of Health (22%), a lawyer (11%), or friends or associations (28%). The thematic analysis revealed that a major category, denominated "Not aware of the social right" is common to all the trajectories and the way in which the users perceive the construction of the legal process. It concludes that the actual receipt of the benefit did not promote awareness of the social right, since the way in which the processes are carried out does not empower the recipients, but on the contrary, reinforces the relations of dependence and the user's perceptions of impotence.
Pharmaceutical assistance; Universal access to health services; Right to health; Medications
