[Profile of mortality by intoxication with medication in Brazil, 1996-2005: portrait of a decade].

The occurrence of deaths caused by intoxication with medication have been considered a worsening public health problem. The study describes the epidemiological profile of medication-related intoxication in the general Brazilian population from 1996 to 2005. A descriptive study was conducted with mortality data obtained from the Mortality Information System of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Deaths were selected according to the codes of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). A total of 4,403 deaths were found inn males (53.9%), bachelors (53.7%) and the 20 to 39 year-old age bracket (44%). The majority of deaths were caused by intentional self-intoxication using anticonvulsants, sedatives, antiparkinsonians and psychotropics. The standardized mortality rate was higher in the Midwest region and Potential Life-Years Lost increased by 15.5%. The study showed the characteristics and variations in mortality by intoxication with medication in Brazil, which can be a reflex of the medication consumption patterns of the country, indicating the need for enhancement of sanitary vigilance policies.