Afipa regrets the lack of initiative from the political power in terms of information on self-medication. To remedy this, it is launching a major national campaign from Monday.
After the manufacturers of generic drugs a few days ago, it is the turn of the industrialists of theself-medication to take action. Denouncing “the lack of initiative of the political power in matters of information” on this subject, theAfipa (1) launches a major communication campaign – with an educational vocation – on responsible self-medication. Its broadcast will begin on Monday, June 20 until July 1, 2016.
Entitled “My health, my choice”, it will be an opportunity for the association to deliver a minute of information on taking non-prescription drugs. This unprecedented operation will be broadcast on the radio (offered to 1,000 radios and web-radios for free broadcasting) and on the screens of 1,300 pharmacies. Contents: 10 chronicles (to listen here) and 3 films (download here) to better inform the French.
Manufacturers will thus answer the most practical questions. What are the right reflexes to adopt? What do the doctor, the pharmacist think? What is the benefit for the patient? Is reimbursement synonymous with efficiency? Every day, experts, doctors, pharmacists, representatives of Afipa, and individuals will take the floor to shed light on these subjects.
A major interest for the healthcare system
In a press release published on Friday, Afipa recalls that improving the training of the French in self-medication is a crucial issue that is among the recommendations of its manifesto for the development of self-care in France (downloadable from masantemonchoix.org). “However, no government action is taken today in this direction,” she laments.
Despite the context of consumer mistrust, Afipa adds that it remains determined to change things. And if this campaign bears fruit, the association is already considering others. “Why not on certain pathologies that can be treated by self-medication,” she announces. In 2015, we remember that the self-medication market was boosted by the strong influenza epidemic. Not enough for Afipa, which regularly notes that the French shun the self-medication market. In France, it represents only 15.4% of the French market in volume against 32.3% for the European average. In its 2015 observatory, the association underlined that “32.1 euros per year are spent by the French on self-medication”. A small sum compared to the 45.8 euros per year spent on average in Europe.
According to her, the development of responsible self-medication nevertheless represents an undeniable asset for the organization of the healthcare system. “It values the pharmacist in his advisory role, and allows the general practitioner to focus on the pathologies that require his intervention”. Finally, it constitutes a significant source of savings: 1.5 billion euros in savings per year (2), according to Afipa.
(1) The French Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry for Responsible Self-Medication
(2) “Economic impact of the updating of delisting and delisting in France”, OpenHeatlh study, January 2016. Available at masantemonchoix.org.
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