a campaign to warn about the misuse of medicines

After the slogan “antibiotics are not automatic”, stamped Health Insurance in 2002, it is another little music that the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) intends to resonate with the big public and health professionals. The formula chosen to embody the awareness campaign launched this Wednesday, June 7 is as follows: “Medicines are not ordinary products, do not take them lightly. ” The goal ? Warn about the misuse of drugs.

While improper use of drugs aggravates product shortages in the territory, not following the instructions of a health professional can also – among other things – reduce their effectiveness. “The proper use of medicines is a major public health issue that concerns us all, from health professionals to patients”, assured Doctor Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil, Director General of the ANSM in a press release.

France, the biggest drug consumer in Europe

According to a Vivavoice study commissioned by the ANSM, 3 out of 10 French people adapt, by themselves, the dose or duration of the drug treatment prescribed to them. Another alarming fact: 1 in 5 French people take higher doses than prescribed or take several medications at the same time to relieve symptoms more quickly. According to the national agency, France is the largest consumer of drugs in Europe, “the stake is therefore all the more important”, adds the director general of the ANSM. In order for the French to respect the prescribed doses, the organization responsible for ensuring French people’s access to health products relies on the triptych “patient, doctor, pharmacist”.

“If several drugs are mixed together, the consequences on health, especially that of the elderly, can be disastrous”, recalled Catherine Simonin, representative of the France asso health organization. “France is for example a big prescriber of antibiotics, whereas when the infection is viral their administration is not justified”, she continues.

The ANSM also pointed to the responsibility of pharmacists, the last bastion in the administration of drugs once the prescription has been delivered to the patient. “When we start our studies, we are told that we are the guardians of poisons. We must ensure that our fellow citizens have an effective treatment that they take safely, ”recalled Carine Wolf-Thal, president of the national council of the Order of pharmacists.

Paracetamol, which has become a common consumer product

Among the misuses, the overdose of paracetamol is, for example, the first cause of liver transplantation. “It’s the molecule that is used at all ages of life, it has become almost an everyday consumer product”, regrets Christelle Ratigner-Carbonneil. In France, hospitalizations related to adverse drug effects could be avoided in 16% of cases.

The awareness campaign which will be broadcast on the radio, through leaflets intended for the general public or even through a YouTube video, revolves around four situations of everyday life with a single watchword: self-mockery . By using an offbeat tone through other slogans such as: “Spices work well when you mix them, not drugs”, the ANSM hopes that the French will question themselves before heading to their medicine cabinet. For their part, health professionals will receive an email recalling the issues of the proper use of medicines.

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