Radio advertising under a Department of Health “Get the right treatment”
campaign this winter is to focus on the availability of health advice from community
pharmacists without having to make an appointment. The Department said on October
23 that its £1.75m campaign was intended to tell the public about the
full range of health care options available to them over the winter.
In a statement, the Minister for Health (Ms Gisela Stuart) said: “Last
year’s ‘Choose the right remedy’ campaign was an excellent step
in the right direction, but raising public awareness and understanding does
not happen overnight. This year’s campaign will continue to build on people’s
knowledge of the health care services available, which are often more extensive
than they realise.”
The Department said that the “Get the right treatment” campaign would
seek to build people’s confidence to self-treat where appropriate and to
remind them about existing services, such as the expert advice which pharmacists
offer.
Other aspects of the campaign will cover making right use of general medical
practitioner, accident and emergency and 999 services, and the NHS Direct telephone
helpline.
Visitors to a “Get the right treatment” section of NHS Direct Online
(www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/right_treatment/
pharmacist.htm) will find a weblink to the Proprietary Association of Great
Britain’s online database of over-the-counter medicines (www.medicine-chest.co.uk)
(PJ, September 9, p351).