“Switch-on to Self-Care” in Ireland
April 2009

A 2008 Nielsen on-line survey of Irish consumers showed that a majority of people in Ireland share the view that more medicines should be made available without a prescription in their country, reflecting their wish to see a trend initiated in other countries take shape within their own frontiers . Estimating that enhanced self-care and self-medication through the switch of 5% of prescribed items to nonprescription status in Ireland could produce €75 million in health savings, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) held on 25 March 2009 a roundtable which brought together interested parties (legislators, regulators, pharmacists, doctors, nurses and consumers) to discuss the role and benefits of self-care to the healthcare system and public health in Ireland. The press release and booklet launched on this occasion are available trough IPHA's website.