Brussels, 18 November 2024 – As European Antibiotic Awareness Day and World Antimicrobial Awareness Week kick off, the Association of the European Self-Care Industry (AESGP) releases key findings from a new study on the vital role of non-prescription antifungal and antiviral treatments in Europe. The study, conducted by IQVIA and covering the 27 EU Member States and the UK, reveals the health and socio-economic benefits of allowing people to self-treat common conditions like lip herpes, vaginal thrush, and athlete’s foot without requiring a prescription.
The report shows that, if access to antifungal and antiviral treatments was not possible without a prescription, it could result in significant economic costs, amounting to €9.68 billion in one year and projected to exceed €50 billion over five years. These costs stem primarily from increased doctor’s visits (~59 million additional doctors’ visits in a single year) and productivity losses, highlighting the role of non-prescription options in alleviating pressure on healthcare systems. Additionally, the study found that restricted access may lead to delayed care-seeking and treatment, potentially worsening symptoms and driving up the overall use of antifungals and antivirals by 32% and 58%, respectively.
Balancing access to essential medicines and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
The European Commission recently proposed, as part of the revision of the EU’s general pharmaceutical legislation, to make all “antimicrobial” medicines available only under prescription. This wording would include not only antibiotics but also antiviral and antifungal medicines, which have substantially different mechanisms of action and risks of AMR.
However, restricting access to non-prescription antimicrobials by changing their status to prescription-only, including antifungal and antiviral medicines where evidence does not point to the existence of AMR concerns, could result in unintended consequences and undesirable impacts to patients and health systems, as highlighted above.
Jurate Svarcaite, AESGP Director General said: “Everyday treatments for common conditions like cold sores, athlete’s foot, nappy rash, dandruff or vaginal thrush could become harder to access, which could have an impact on people’s wellbeing, on healthcare systems and, counterproductively, lead to an increase in their overall consumption. As policymakers consider future healthcare strategies, we believe these findings can support them in making informed decisions that safeguard public health and ensure timely access to treatments, while preserving the sustainability of our healthcare systems.”
Join the discussion: Webinar on 21 November
To discuss the study findings and their implications, AESGP will host a public webinar on the “Responsible Use of Non-Prescription Antimicrobials in Europe” on Thursday, 21 November (13:00 to 14:30 CET). The event will feature high-level speakers from the healthcare sector and explore how well-designed policies can balance accessibility, public health, and sustainable healthcare.
Documents
The full study, along with a summary brochure, are listed below for ease of reference: