1. Developing an
environment for
change
Ilaria Passarani
Head of the Food and Health Department
50th AESGP Annual Meeting
18th WSMI General Assembly
London
5 June 2014

2. The consumer perspective

3. Behavior change
pathway

4. Know me
My life is complicated: many
products, many brands,
many supply channels
I’m overloaded with info :
many channels, many
sources
I’m
demanding,analytic/lazy,em
powered/ vulnerable
I’m super social / not IT
savy
I want to be more involved
in the decisions about my
health but need the tools to
do so
I have to take a more active

5. What I want from
self-medication
- Will work for me
- Does not have many
side effects
- Will be as effective
as a prescription
- I can afford it

6. Connect me

7.  97,000 mHealth apps are currently available across multiple platforms
on the global market
 approximately 70% of mHealth apps target the consumer wellness and
fitness segments, 30% of apps target health professionals, easing
access to patient data,diagnostic imaging, pharmaceuticals information
etc
 by 2017 3.4 billion people worldwide will own a smartphone and half
of them will be using mHealth apps
 23% of consumers have used any sort of mHealth solution
 67% said they would like to do “nothing at all” on their mobile phone
in support of their health
 77% had never used their phone for health-related activities
 45% of consumers say they are concerned about the unwanted use of
their data when using mobile devices for health-related activities
European Commission, April 2014
mHEALTH

8. Health information through
social media

9. Getting social:
challenges and
opportunities

10. Key principles
 Give consumers a secure digital environment
data protection
 Maintain a clear distinction between information and
advertising
 The source of the information/ the “sponsor” of the
advertising should always be clearly indicated
 Maintain a clear distinction between different sources of
information (e.g. competent authorities, health care
professionals, companies)

11. High quality information
l
 objective and unbiased
 consumer friendly
 evidence-based
 up to date
 reliable
 understandable
 accessible
 transparent
 relevant and appropriate
 non promotional
 objective and unbiased
 consumer friendly
 evidence-based
 up to date
 reliable
 understandable
 accessible
 transparent
 relevant and appropriate
 non promotional
 consumers’
empowerment
 compliance
and adherence
to treatments
 patient safety
 health
outcomes
 consumers’
empowerment
 compliance
and adherence
to treatments
 patient safety
 health
outcomes

12. Empower me
HLS – EU Consortium, 2012

13. Guide me
 More information is not
enough. Consumers need the
tools to interprete it and
support from health care
professionals
 Healthcare professionals:
from decision makers to
advisers

14. Consumers’ expectations from
pharmacists
 Honest and credible
 Objective , unbiased and proactive advice
 Clear and consumer friendly
 Comparative information
 More questions and more answers
 More active role in the detection of possible interactions
 Continued training and quality controls

15. Symplify it for me
 BETTER LABELLING
• Less medical jargon and more straight forward language
• Better use of simple design techniques (ex. bullet points,
paragraphs, short sentences)
• Clearer safety information, including standardized frequency indications
• Larger print
• More visible expiration date and storage information
• More pictures and pictograms
• No repetitions
 MORE CONSISTENT CLASSIFICATION OF BORDERLINE
PRODUCTS ( OTC, medical devices, herbal medicines, food
supplements)
 ALLOW CONSUMERS TO MAKE EASY AND MEANINGFUL
CHOICES

16. Cooperation among stakeholders
 Stakeholders involvement in regulatory decisions
EMA
 European Commission Process on Corporate
Responsibility in the field of pharmaceuticals
Working Group on Promoting good
governance of non-prescription drugs

17. Promoting safe and responsible
self care
• Address complexity
• Promote informed choices
• Investments in IT and health
literacy
• Incentives
• Coordinated efforts
• Trust, ethics and transparency
• Adapt to the new consumer
changing needs

18. www.beuc.eu – health@beuc.eu
Thank you