E-drug: selfmedication policies, guidelines, EDL? (cont'd)
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As mentioned in a previous posting, FIP has developed a policy of
responsible self-medication. It can be found at
http://www.exist.nl/pdf/wsmi_fip.pdf
Further, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has published a
current guideline "The Professional Role of Pharmacists in Assisting
Self-Medication by Consumers". PSA has also developed a guideline
for "Delivery of Pharmacy and Pharmacist Only Medicines in
Community (pharmacy - KB) Practice" which has been followed up
with a 48 page "Standards for the Provision of Pharmacist Only and
Pharmacy Medicines in Community Pharmacy" which addresses
resources, practice, pharmacy environment and the rights and
needs of consumers. It also provides self-audit tools, SOPs,
policies, protocols and lists of resources and references. These
Standards have been adopted by all Pharmacy Boards in Australia
and are therefore a mandatory part of pharmacy practice to ensure
that while access to potent medicines that provide relief from minor
illnesses is as open as possible, the consumer is protected from
inadvertent misadventure.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia can be contacted on:
Phone: +61 2 6283 4777
Fax: +61 2 6285 2869
www.psa.org.au
These may not fit precisely with essential drugs, but many of the
protocols and concepts could be transferred with little modification.
I should also like to dispute the comment put forward by Peter
Mansfield in the statement "Otherwise do not self medicate
because most other drugs are not value for money or require a
doctor to help you to use them appropriately." I declare that I am
employed by a pharmaceutical manufacturer/wholesaler/retail
pharmacy service provider in Australia, but I am also a practising
community pharmacist. Peter's comment unecessarily restricts
access that consumers in many countries may have to medications
that will provide effective symptomatic relief from minor illness. In
addition, a number of medications available for self-medication can
reduce the severity or progression of an illness and even reduce
opportunistic secondary infection. Whilst I agree that a number of
"OTC" medications have a low or negligable level of efficacy,
ignoring all medications available for consumer self-medication
denies consumers access to many medicines that can improve their
productivity and contribution while also limiting disease severity or
progression.
Mr Kim Bessell
Professional Practice Manager
Sigma Company Limited
1408 Centre Road, Clayton VIC 3168
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 3 9542 9924
Fax: +61 3 9542 9821
Email: kim.bessell@signet.com.au
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