The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) is launching a general public campaign on Wednesday on their proper use, a “major public health issue”. Its slogan: “Medicines are not ordinary products, do not take them lightly.” ยป
One in five French people takes higher doses or several drugs at the same time to relieve symptoms more quickly. Nearly one in two French people give medicine to a loved one because they have similar symptoms, one in ten even does it systematically or often. And 34% consider it rather safe or not at all risky to take an expired medicine. Social networks play “an amplifying role” in this misuse, observed Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil.
Medicines prescribed or recommended for one person may prove useless or dangerous for another. Not respecting a dose or duration of treatment can also make it ineffective, even dangerous. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin, which are among the most used treatments in self-medication, are for example prohibited in pregnant women. After the 5th month of pregnancy, a single dose can lead to the death of the future baby.
To “reach as many people as possible”, the Medicines Agency is launching a digital campaign, which will be rolled out until the end of the year, on the Internet, YouTube, social networks, streaming platforms, topicality… In a desired “offbeat” tone, it encourages the adoption of four good reflexes: respect the prescription or the advice of the health professional (dose, frequency, duration, etc.), use only medication prescribed or recommended by a health professional, and not by a close relative, do not take several medications at the same time without the advice of a health professional. And finally, pay attention to the modalities and shelf life of the drugs.