english.prescrire.org > Positions > Self-medication

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Self-medication

Successful self-medication presupposes a well-informed public and a responsible pharmaceutical industry — two prerequisites that are too often lacking, in France as in other countries.

Themes

Will France's move from prescription-only to over-the-counter benefit the public?

Real patient independence means having access to independent and reliable information concerning health disorders and available therapeutic options (including non-drug treatments), as well as easier access to certain useful and well-evaluated drugs. However, self-medication in France is mainly based on drugs that are so ineffective that they are no longer reimbursed.

Self-medication: too much confusion!

The massive outcry over self medication overshadows essential questions, in particular that of weaning the French off of too much medication.