2023-06-26 08:01:44
Far from being harmless products, drugs require the greatest vigilance when using them. This is the meaning of the message carried by the new digital campaign of the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) which aims to raise public awareness of the proper use of medicines. Focus on the key points of this communication operation.
Use of medication: vigilance is required
Far from being harmless products, drugs require the greatest vigilance when using them. Each of them implies specific conditions of use that the patient must read and respect to ensure its effectiveness and safety. Because a poorly used drug risks having serious consequences with more adverse effects, a decrease in the effectiveness of the treatment, and even the aggravation of the patient’s disease.
Or, a recent study conducted for the ANSM with a sample of French people revealed that they were not really familiar with the proper use of drugs :
3 out of 10 French people take the initiative to adapt the dose or duration of the medication prescribed to them. One in five French people takes higher doses or even several drugs at the same time to relieve symptoms more quickly. Nearly one in two French people say they give medicine to a loved one with the same symptoms. And one in 10 French people do it often or systematically. 34% of French people consider it low risk or not at all risky to take an expired medicine.
To know ! An expired or poorly stored medicine can lose its effectiveness or be contaminated by bacteria.
In this context, the ANSM has seen fit to remind the population of the fundamental notions related to the proper use of medicines.
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ANSM: a new campaign dedicated to the proper use of medicines
Qualified “a major public health issue” by the Director General of the ANSM, the proper use of medicines concerns both the general public and health professionals and according to her, “everyone has a role to play, at every stage to promote the proper use of medicines”. The Agency is therefore launching an information and awareness campaign entitled “Medicines are not ordinary products, do not take them lightly.” Aimed at both the general public and health professionals, it bets on humor and quirkiness to convey essential messages.
To know ! This unique campaign is available on the internet, Youtube, streaming networks and news sites.
This new communication campaign encourages the French to adopt four good reflexes:
Rigorously respect the prescriptions or the advice issued by health professionals (dosage, frequency and duration of use of the drugs). Use only drugs prescribed or recommended by a health professional and not by one of his relatives. Do not take several drugs at the same time to avoid any risk of drug interaction. Respect the conditions of use and shelf life of medicines.
If these recommendations may seem obvious at first glance, they are not for the majority of French people who, hopefully, will put them into practice in the near future!
Read also – How to store your medicines in case of hot weather?
Déborah L., Doctor of Pharmacy
Sources
– Medicines are not ordinary products, do not take them lightly. ansm.sante.fr. Accessed June 12, 2023.
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