Welcome to self-care.ie

Self-care is the care taken by individuals relating to their own health and well being.

In practice it includes the actions people take to:

  • stay fit and maintain good physical and mental health;
  • meet social and psychological needs;
  • prevent illness or accidents;
  • avoid unnecessary risks;
  • use non-prescription medicines to treat minor ailments; and
  • reduce the risk of long-term conditions.

Consumers want to actively manage their own health and are taking greater individual responsibility for their healthcare and their health choices.

In response to this public demand for increased health choices, the IPHA urges the State to make the encouragement of responsible self-care and appropriate self-medication an explicit objective of public health policy. This could help to reduce unnecessary cost burdens on primary and secondary care systems.

You may learn more by reading our booklet "Switch-On to Self-Care" which outlines the health, social and economic benefits of responsible self-medication.


 

Download Switch-On to Self-Care Booklet (0.45 MB, Adobe PDF)

 
Health, Social and Economic Benefits
The health, social and economic benefits of responsible self-medication are well known and the principle way for Ireland to fully realise these benefits is by increasing the range of medicines available without prescription through switching the legal status of the medicine.
Switching through Partnership
In Ireland, to date, the onus has been placed on the pharmaceutical industry to propose products for switching. IPHA calls on a partnership approach involving all the various partners which would help to provide an impetus to appropriate switches thereby increasing the range of medicines available to consumers and, as a result they get better access to the health, social and economic benefits of responsible self-care.
Case Study: Embracing Partnership in the UK
As a result of a partnership approach in the UK many medicines are available without prescription while they remain prescription-only in Ireland. Through a similar partnership these and many more medicines could be made available to Irish consumers with health, social and economic benefits for all.
Ensuring Safety
Consumer safety is of the highest priority to the pharmaceutical industry at all times, including when considering switching medicines. Safety is achieved through the regulatory process and the provision of appropriate information about self-medication to consumers
 

IPHA is a member of -

IFPMAAESGPEFPIA

For medicines and clinical trials information visit -

medicines.ieself-care.ieIFPMA Portal