Future of self-care

Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP)7, Avenue de Tervuren – B-1040 Brussels

Tel: +32 2 735 51 30 | Fax: +32 2 735 52 22 | www.aesgp.eu | info@aesgp.eu

Jurate Svarcaite

AESGP Director General

AESGP mission

Advance responsible self-care enabling citizens to take better care of their health needs and contribute to the sustainability

of European health care systems.

The history of self-care

The ancient times: Times of

self-care

Greece and Roman empire: Birth of medical

profession

18th Century: Pharmacists

can prescribe and compound

medicines

1965(s) EU legislation of

pharmaceuticals introduces

requirement of authorization

Switching from Rx to OTC starts in USA in 1976

1992 EU legislation

distinguishes between OTC

and Rx medicines

2002 Food supplements recognized in

EU law

2017 Substance based medical

devices recognized in

MDR

Reclassifications of medicines

Antihistamines

1976

Benzoyl peroxide

1981

Ibuprofen, loperamide

1983

Hydrocortizone

1986

Nicotine

1988

Aciclovir

1993

Flucanozole

1995

Ranitidine

1997

Cimetidine

2000

Levonorgestol

2001

Loratidine

2002

Chloramphenicol

2005

Orlistat, Pantoprazol

2009

Esomeprazol

2013

Uliprsital

2015

We all live longer

And it is costing too much

Consumer/patient journey is changing

Eurostat: Internet activities in the past three months by age group EU-28, 2016 (% of internet users)

Data driven world

Self-care of the future

• Governments face unprecedented constraints on all aspects of their expenditure and healthcare costs are a

prominent and growing burden.

• The rise in these costs is driven in part by demographic and societal changes.

• Encouraging self-care and having the individual take responsibility for some interventions aimed at preventing ill

health or treating suitable conditions seems an obvious response.

• Self-care and self-medication is a starting point for healthcare rather than as substitutes for professional-led

services.

• Pharmacists are at the forefront of these changes by guiding individuals in making healthy lifestyle choices,

recommend appropriate self-medication, and signposting citizens to physician.

• Technology has a potential to change delivery of healthcare and release self-care potential.

• Long-term conditions supported by collaborative care models, with greater role for pharmacists are obvious next

self-care categories.

▪ Acne

▪ Allergic conjunctivitis

▪ Cold

▪ Cold sores

▪ Constipation

▪ Cough

▪ Diarrhoea

▪ Emergency

contraception

▪ Erectile dysfunction

▪ Fever

▪ Flu prevention

▪ Flu treatment

▪ Haemorrhoids

▪ Arthritic pain

▪ Caries prevention

▪ Cholesterol lowering/lipid

control

▪ Dermatitis/eczema

▪ Hayfever treatment

▪ Male pattern baldness

▪ Neural tube defect

prevention

Healthcare professional advice + patient self-management (with/without medical device)

Recurrent /

Semi-chronic condition

Short term use /

Acute condition

▪ Hay fever prevention

▪ Headache

▪ Indigestion/heartburn

▪ Insomnia (temporary)

▪ Mild/moderate pain

▪ Minor cuts and bruises

▪ Mouth ulcers

▪ Nausea from known causes

▪ Smoking cessation

▪ Sore throat

▪ Symptoms of pre-menstrual

tension

▪ Topical bacterial infections

▪ Weight management

▪ Bacterial conjunctivitis

▪ Cystitis

▪ Exercise-induced

angina

▪ Helminth infections

▪ Lower urinary tract

infections

▪ Vaginal thrush

▪ Incontinence

▪ Inflammatory bowel disease

▪ Irritable bowel syndrome

▪ Malaria prevention

▪ Menopause syndrome

▪ Migraine

▪ Obesity

▪ Oral contraception

▪ Osteoporosis prophylaxis

▪ Psoriasis (mild)

▪ Rheumatism

▪ Venous leg ulcers

▪ Anxiety

▪ Asthma

▪ Benign prostatic hypertrophy

▪ Chronic insomnia

▪ Depression (mild to

moderate)

▪ Diabetes (prevention of

complications + treatment

with oral agents)

▪ Gout

▪ Heart disease prevention

▪ Herpes genitalis

▪ Hypertension

Long term use/

Chronic condition

Source: AESGP study on new indications and related information needs carried out for DG SANCO of the European Commission-January 2002

Self-diagnosis + self-management

How?

Health literacy Digital and diagnostic tools

Access

mhealth tools

Designed by macrovector / Freepik

• Wearables and wellbeing devices

• Remote monitoring possibilities

• Drug interaction checker app

• Home diagnostics

Labelling and external packages

• QR codes and e-Leaflets

• Personalised product information based on person’s health record

https://imgflip.com/i/1f0wgt

Portugal Self-Care Program

“Take Care of Myself”

▪ Provides information on OTC medicines

and how they can be used to solve

minor health problems.

▪ Aims to promote self-care through a

more informed and empowered society

contributing to health literacy in

Portugal;

▪ Awarded the Best Enterprise

Communication Project (2016)

https://www.apifarma.pt/tratardemim/Paginas/Jogo-Tratar-de-Mim.aspx

Croatia: Self-care manual for pharmacists by pharmacists

https://www.farmaceut.org/novosti/hrvatska/predstavljen-prvi-hrvatski-prirucnik-za-samolijecenje

Ireland