Lecture 12 - Self-Care & the Role of Pharmacy

Self Care

The independent act of preveting, diagnsoing and treating one’s own illnesses without seeking professional advice

Why is self care increasing?

• Lifestyle - weight loss, smoking cessation

• Easy to access drugs

• Public health and environemental factors

• The increased potential to manage certain illness through self care

Types of self care

1. Preventative self care

2. Sickness self care

Preventative self care

Involves maintaing well-being and appearance through exercise and a healthy lifestyle

Sickness self care

• Involves diagnosing their conditions and obtaining products for relieving their symptoms

• DIsease assessment and management 

Self medication

• The practice whereby individuals treat their ailment and conditions with medicines which are approved and available without prescription and which are safe and effctive when used as directed

• Plays an increasing role as adjunctive therapy for chronic diseases that are managed by prescription medication

Options for self medications

• Non prescription medications (OTC)

• Nutritional dietary supplements

• Natural products and homeopathic remedies 

Over the counter medicines

• Medications patients can buy without prescription

• Safe & effective when a patient follows the direactions on the label and as directed by HCPs 

Advantages of OTC medicines

• Saves money - cheaper than prescription charge

• Time and opportunity - booking an appointment with a doctor

• Savings for the NHS

• Empowering patients

Rationale for deregulation - POM to OTC

1. Safety

2. Efficacy

3. Provision of information leading to safe use

• Warnings 

• Duration of use

Risks with self medication

• Wrong dose/product

• Drug-drug interaction

• Abuse of OTC products

• Adverse drug reactions

• Overdiagnosis/underdiagnosis

Examples of drug-drug interactions

Communication skills

• Active listening

• Questioning techniques

• Observation

• Empathy

• Differenciation between minor and more serious symptoms

• EB treatment choices

Safe use of OTC medicines

Pharmacists can combat the misuse of non prescription drugs by:

• Ensuring the patients are able to understand and read product labelling/dosage

• Help patients avoid drug interactions

• Warn about potential allergic reactions and side effects

• Discuss appropriate drug storage and handling

WWHAM questions

1. W: who is the patient?

2. W: what are the symptoms?

3. H: how long have the symptoms been present?

4. A: action taken

5. M: medication being taken

OTC and ‘risk’ groups

• Children

• Preganant and breast feeding women

• Elderly People with long term conditions