Submissions

Author Guidelines

The JAFF publishes original scientific papers that contribute to the study of Pharmaceutical Assistance, Health Technology Assessment, and Pharmacoeconomics.

Authors of articles submitted to JAFF must provide a statement confirming that the study received ethical approval (or a statement of exemption from ethical approval, justifying the reasons), as outlined in section 7 – Declaration of Approval by the Research Ethics Committee.

JAFF ensures the integrity of the research in accordance with the Singapore and Hong Kong Declarations.

The use of texts or ideas from other authors without proper credit is not accepted. All sources cited in the manuscript must be properly acknowledged. To use images from other sources, authors must obtain explicit permission from the copyright holder.

JAFF employs CopySpider® and Similarity Check software to identify potential similarities between texts, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

The Editors and the Editorial Council are responsible for upholding the ethical standards of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Assistance and Pharmacoeconomics (JAFF) and must address any conflicts transparently, ensuring the continued credibility of the journal.

In cases of suspected ethical misconduct, the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/guidance) will be followed.

JAFF operates under a continuous submission system and occasionally issues calls for papers for specific thematic sections.

For any questions or support related to manuscript submission, as well as for suggestions, complaints, or appeals regarding decisions made, please contact: contato@jaff.org.br

Article Categories Accepted for Publication

JAFF accepts submissions in the following sections: original articles, review articles, case reports, commentaries, study protocols, letters to the editor, brief communications, and perspective articles.

Manuscripts may be written in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. Metadata, including the title, abstract, and keywords, must always be provided in English when the article is written in another language.

Authors should review the article type specifications below, including limits for text length, illustrations, tables, and references. The word count excludes the title page, abstract, tables, acknowledgments, author contributions, and references.

Original articles 

The Original Articles section publishes original works on free topics, as long as they are consistent with the editorial line of JAFF. Empirical research, whether experimental or observational, is accepted.

Word count: up to 5,000 words

Title: up to 15 words, written in the original language of the article and in English. It should be representative of the content and indicate the study design. For clinical trials, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses, the subtitle must include the study design.

Structured abstract: up to 250 words, written in the original language and in English, in a single paragraph and single-spaced. It should include objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.

Keywords: in the original language and in English (maximum of 6). The use of indexed descriptors from the DeCS/MeSH portal is strongly recommended.

Body text: introduction, objectives, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions.

Tables/Illustrations: (charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, drawings, maps, photographs, etc.) should follow the standards of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) and appear in the body of the article at the location indicated by the author (maximum of 8 for original articles).

References: must follow the Vancouver Style (maximum of 60).

Appendices: materials presenting additional methodological details or other relevant information may be included to assist reviewers or be made available online for readers.

For articles describing clinical trial results, registration in ICTRP, ReBEC, or similar platforms is required.

Results of economic evaluation studies must be presented according to the CHEERS checklist.

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Review articles

The Review Articles section publishes manuscripts derived from narrative, integrative, scoping, or systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis, provided they align with the editorial scope of JAFF.

Word count: up to 5,000 words

Title: up to 15 words, in the original language and in English. It must be representative of the work and include an indication of the study design. For systematic reviews or meta-analyses, the subtitle must specify the study design.

Structured abstract: up to 250 words, written in the original language and in English, in a single paragraph and single-spaced, containing objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.

Keywords: in the original language and in English (maximum of 6).

Body text: introduction, objectives, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions.

Tables/Illustrations: prepared in accordance with ABNT standards and included in the body of the article (maximum of 8 for review articles).

References: must follow the Vancouver Style (maximum of 60).

Appendices: materials with additional methodological details or other relevant content may be included to assist reviewers or readers.

Registration of systematic reviews in the PROSPERO database is required.

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Case report

This section publishes case studies, case reports, or other case descriptions, provided the content is consistent with the journal’s editorial line.

Word count: up to 1,500 words

Tables/Figures: up to 1 table and 2 figures

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Commentaries

This section publishes commentary articles on other published papers. This format may be used when the editor invites an author with an opposing or complementary viewpoint to comment on a controversial article, publishing both texts together.

Word count: up to 1,500 words

Tables/Figures: up to 1 table and 1 figure

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Editorials

This section publishes editorials, policy statements, or general commentaries written by members of the editorial team, with their own title and authorship distinct from the section heading.

Word count: up to 1,500 words

Tables/Figures: up to 1 table and 1 figure

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Study Protocols

This section publishes study protocols, which must include a detailed description of the study hypothesis, rationale, methodology, and expected outcomes.

Randomized clinical trial protocols must comply with CONSORT guidelines and include a trial registration number.
Systematic review protocols must follow PRISMA guidelines and include a registration number.

Structured abstract: up to 250 words, written in the original language and in English, in a single paragraph and single-spaced, including background, study design and methods, and expected impact.

Keywords: in the original language and in English (maximum of 6).

Body text: introduction, objectives, methods, expected results, and conclusions.

References: must follow the Vancouver Style (maximum of 30).

Appendices: materials with additional methodological details or relevant supplementary content may be included to assist reviewers or readers.

Word count: up to 3,000 words

Tables/Figures: up to 3 tables or figures

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Letters to the editor

Published at the discretion of the Scientific Editor, letters to the editor may address critiques or relevant contributions to a paper published in the journal, or discuss topics of significant current interest.

Word count: up to 2,000 words

Tables/Figures: up to 1 table or figure

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Brief communications

The Brief Communications section publishes concise reports of preliminary research results or short original studies that can be succinctly presented.

Word count: up to 2,500 words

Title: up to 250 characters

Tables/Figures: up to 3 tables or figures

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Perspective Articles

The Perspective section publishes opinion papers intended to foster discussion and analysis of current topics related to Pharmaceutical Assistance, Health Technology Assessment, and Pharmacoeconomics.

Word count: up to 2,000 words

Title: up to 250 characters

Illustrations/Tables: up to 2 tables or figures

References: must follow the Vancouver Style (maximum of 30)

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Manuscript Preparation

All manuscripts submitted for publication in JAFF must be prepared electronically, using 12-point font, 1.5 line spacing, and 2.4 cm margins, formatted for A4 paper size, printed on one side only.

During the submission process, authors must upload the following four separate files:

1. Manuscript

2. Open Science Compliance Form

3. License to Publish Agreement

Manuscript

The manuscript must contain the title and the main body of the article, following the structure and requirements described for each article type accepted by JAFF.

The main document must not contain the authors’ names or identifying information, as the journal follows a double-blind peer review process.

Open Science Compliance Form

Through this form, authors must indicate the manuscript’s compliance with Open Science communication practices. Authors are required to state:

1. Whether the manuscript is a preprint and, if so, its repository location;

2. Whether program codes, datasets, or other materials underlying the manuscript text are properly cited and referenced;

3. Whether they agree to open peer review options offered by the journal.

License to Publish Agreement

By submitting an article to JAFF, the author certifies that:

1. Authorization: The submitting author is duly authorized by all co-authors to enter into this agreement.

2. Originality and Rights: On behalf of all co-authors, the submitting author guarantees that the article is original, has not been formally published in any other peer-reviewed journal, is not under consideration elsewhere, and does not infringe upon any existing copyright or third-party rights.

   • The author(s) are the sole creators of the manuscript and hold full authority to enter into this contract.

   • Granting rights to JAFF does not violate any other contractual obligations.

   • The article contains no unlawful or defamatory material, nor any content that, if published, would constitute a breach of contract, confidentiality, or secrecy.

   • The author(s) have taken due care to ensure the integrity of the work. To the best of their knowledge—and according to current scientific standards—all factual statements are accurate, and any formula or instruction included in the article will not cause harm, injury, or damage if followed precisely.

3. Licensing: The authors agree that, if the article is editorially accepted for publication, it will be published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0).

By submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Pharmaceutical Assistance and Pharmacoeconomics (JAFF), the authors declare that the work has not been previously published and will not be submitted to any other journal until a decision from JAFF has been issued.

The License to Publish Agreement must be signed by the corresponding author and submitted in PDF format.

5. Declarations

5.1 Funding

If the research underlying the submitted manuscript was funded, the funding organization(s) must be clearly identified.

5.2 Conflicts of Interest

All authors must declare whether conflicts of interest exist or not.

5.3 Author Contribution Statement

Authors must specify their individual contributions to the development of the article, in accordance with the authorship criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which establish that authorship must be based on substantial contributions to the following:

1. Conception and design of the study, or analysis and interpretation of data;

2. Drafting the article or critically revising it for important intellectual content;

3. Final approval of the version to be published;

4. Accountability for all aspects of the work, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of any part of it.

All four criteria must be met in full.

The submitting author is responsible for completing this information during the submission process, and it is expected that all authors have reviewed, discussed, and agreed upon their individual contributions beforehand.

Examples of contributions include:
Conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, project administration, software development, supervision, validation, writing – original draft, and writing – review & editing.

6. Acknowledgments

Collaborators who do not meet the authorship criteria should be listed in the Acknowledgments section. It is expected that those acknowledged have given their permission to be named.

7. Statement of Research Ethics Committee Approval

Authors must include a declaration confirming that the study obtained ethics committee approval (or a declaration of exemption, with justification). The statement must include the name of the ethics committee (that approved or exempted the study) and the approval reference number.

Referencing Guidelines

All works cited in the manuscript must be listed at the end of the article in accordance with the Vancouver Style, following the examples below:

1. Books

Bootman JL, Towsend EJ, McGhan WF. Principles of Pharmacoeconomics. 2nd ed. Cincinnati: Harvey Books Company; 1996.

Rascati KL. Introdução à Farmacoeconomia. Porto Alegre: Artmed; 2010.

2. Book Chapters

Del Nero CR. O que é economia da saúde. In: Piola SF, Vianna SM, editors. Economia da Saúde: Contribuições para a Gestão da Saúde. Brasília: IPEA; 1995. p. 5–21.

Castellanos PL. Epidemiologia, saúde pública, situação de saúde e condições de vida: considerações conceituais. In: Barata R, editor. Condições de Vida e Situação de Saúde. Rio de Janeiro: ABRASCO; 1997. p. 31–75.

3. Journal Articles

Kar SS, Pradhan HS, Mohanta GP. Concept of essential medicines and rational use in public health. Indian J Community Med. 2010;35(1):10–13.

Chen SI, Fox ER, Hall MK, et al. Despite federal legislation, shortages of drugs used in acute care settings remain persistent and prolonged. Health Affairs. 2016;35(5):798–804. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1157

Griffith MM, Gross AE, Suttton SH, et al. The impact of anti-infective drug shortages on hospitals in the United States: trends and causes. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54(5):692–3.

4. Online Material

Helwick C. AMA: Drug Shortage Disruptive but Limited to a Few Key Areas. Medscape Medical News. November 14, 2011. Available from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/753589. Accessed May 20, 2015.

Bieber LBD. O registro sanitário de medicamentos e as políticas de saúde. Cadernos Ibero-Americanos de Direito Sanitário. Brasília; 2014;3(1):23–43. Available from: http://www.cadernos.prodisa.fiocruz.br/index.php/cadernos/article/view/17/41. Accessed July 13, 2016.

Cambricoli F. Gasto federal com medicamentos sobe 53%. Conselho Federal de Farmácia. São Paulo; 2015. Available from: http://www.cff.org.br/noticia.php?id=2935. Accessed June 17, 2016.

5. Theses and Dissertations

Aguihara T. Avaliação econômica de minimização de custos da utilização do Propofol em um Hospital Universitário em Salvador-Bahia. Undergraduate Thesis. Federal University of Bahia; Salvador; 2007.

Fonseca JQ. Acesso a medicamentos excepcionais na Bahia: o caso do interferon peguilhado. Doctoral Dissertation – Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia; Salvador; 2011.

*Author Guidelines updated on October 20, 2025.