The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7253 p817
14 June 2003

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Meeting summaries  14 June

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Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (www.aesgp.be)

Most pharmacists recommend most medicines they sell

Most over-the-counter medicines sold in pharmacies across Europe are personally recommended by pharmacists.

Dr Sat Sian, general manager, IMS Self Medication, told the AESGP meeting that 65 per cent of pharmacists in 13 European countries personally recommend more than half of the OTC medicines sold in their pharmacies. The figures were highest in Hungary (78 per cent) and lowest in France (45 per cent). In the United Kingdom, 62 per cent of pharmacists personally recommend most of the medicines they sell.

Although the chief criterion for making a recommendation is a product's suitability for the condition, Dr Sian said that his research also found that a perceived lack of efficacy was the main restraining factor on recommendations.

A majority of pharmacists also want OTC medicines to have greater visibility in their shops. Figures ranged from 69 per cent in the Netherlands to 92 per cent in Austria. In the UK, 85 per cent of pharmacists want OTC medicines to have greater visibility in their shops.

Figures in favour of self-selection by customers are much lower with a fairly even split between those who favour self selection and those who do not. The European average in favour of self- selection is 40 per cent, with a range from 71 per cent in Finland to 6 per cent in Hungary. The UK figure is 64 per cent.

The principal reason given by most pharmacists who oppose self-selection is that customers will be buying products that have not been professionally endorsed.

The Journal's attendance at the 39th annual meeting of the Association of the European Self-Medication Industry, held in Cannes, France, from 4 to 6 June was made possible by the Proprietary Association of Great Britain