Keynote abstract
Responsible self-medication has become a widely recognised part of modern healthcare. Its economic and public health value has been demonstrated. Substances such as simvastatin, orlistat and triptans have been moved to non-prescription status in some countries or are under consideration for reclassification in others. Indications acceptable for self-medication have been widened to correspond to the growing number of citizens wanting to take care of their health.
Community pharmacists play a key role in this development. Due to their education and easy accessibility, they are crucial in advising and guiding people, in particular with regard to new self-medication indications. The European Self-Medication Industry is committed to supporting pharmacists in this role. A Charter of Collaboration between the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU) and AESGP was updated in November 2004. It addresses patient empowerment and patient safety, and by that important issues for the future of the pharmacist. In March 2002, AESGP and PGEU hosted a workshop on “How appropriate presentation of non-prescription medicines enhances the role of the pharmacist". The results of this workshop contributed to a more customer-friendly pharmacy environment in some countries with positive implications on the way how pharmacists are seen in our societies.
A number of projects have been carried out to strengthen the role of the pharmacist. However, there still seems to be a gap between what pharmacy students are being taught in university today and citizens’ changing needs. Subjects such as communication, consultation, identification of symptoms treatable with non-prescription medicines and marketing are only present in a small percentage of curricula, and are compulsory subjects in only a few faculties. In order to fill this perceived gap, a pilot partnership programme has been launched in Italy between University and Industry involving the Deans of all Pharmacy Faculties. A training plan for university teachers has been defined focusing on self medication issues such as, in particular, communication with citizens. From their side, university teachers have implemented various changes in the way they teach the different subjects in their respective faculties.
All these efforts are expected to lead to a growing importance of the pharmacist in self-care and will make the work in a pharmacy even more interesting.
AESGP Study “Economic and Public Health Value of Self-Medication” is available on: www.aesgp.be/ephv/2004study.pdf
AESGP Study “Development of an information policy for medicinal products” is available on: www.aesgp.be/ResearchProject/FinalReport.pdf
Charter of Collaboration PGEU/AESGP available on: www.aesgp.be/PGEU-AESGP/ChofCollaboration2004.pdf
Report of AESGP-PGEU Workshop on “How appropriate presentation of non-prescription medicines enhances the role of the pharmacist” is available on: www.aesgp.be/PGEU-AESGP/ReportPGEU-AESGPWorkshopMarch2002.pdf
