As in 2014, the French still shun self-medication, according to a European Observatory. Medicines in France are, however, among the cheapest in Europe.
The 2015 edition of 3e AFIPA’s European Self-medication Observatory (1), published on Tuesday, confirms France’s delay in this area. The study carried out by Celtipharm indeed reveals that the market for these drugs available without a prescription for pathologies that are by nature benign and easily diagnosed by the patient only represents 15.4% (-0.29%) of the French market in volume against 32.3% for the European average of the eight countries observed (2).
French people who spend little money
AFIPA emphasizes 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. ”By way of comparison, the consumer pays 57 euros per year for compulsory medical prescription drugs (PMO).
However, the association believes that “all the conditions are met to allow the development of this sector with particularly low prices: 4.58 euros on average in France against 6.16 euros in other European countries. For AFIPA, this observation nevertheless shows that competition fully plays its role in the self-medication sector in France.
France is thus the 2e cheapest country in Europe. By way of comparison, Italy is 71% more expensive than us, and Spain, 43% more expensive.
Spain as an example
And in Spain precisely, “despite the economic conditions that are not very favorable to the development of self-medication, this market is constantly increasing, + 3% compared to 2013.” These results are the result of political and administrative measures undertaken since 2012, which place self-medication at the heart of health policy: expansion of the supply of drugs available without a prescription, strengthening of information to patients in matters of health, etc. ”
AFIPA adds that “these measures respond perfectly to a growing demand from citizens to be more involved in their health. A noticeable phenomenon not only in Spain, but also in the rest of Europe (…). “
AFIPA recommendations
Faced with these results which point the finger at the backwardness of France, the association is convinced of the value of setting up a simplified care pathway for benign pathologies, “of which self-medication constitutes the pillar. ”
“The conclusions of this 3rd European Observatory confirm the feasibility, but above all the validity of the model we are proposing. A model which involves citizens in the management of their health and which gives each health professional their rightful place: the pharmacist and his team for mild ailments and the doctor for serious pathologies “, explains Pascal Brossard, president of the AFIPA.
And concludes that the stakes are high “at a time when the number of general practitioners continues to decrease” and that only 72 medical procedures out of 100 would be, according to them, “fully justified”.
(1) French Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry for responsible self-medication
(2) France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Sweden and United Kingdom
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