GSK launches educational health campaign for everyday medicines

Pharmaceutical company GSK has launched an educational health campaign to support the responsible use of everyday medicines that are available over-the-counter. 

The Let’s treat it right campaign has been launched to help bridge the knowledge gap for patients using everyday medicines such as readily available painkillers. The campaign offers advice on things such as dosing for individuals and family members, including children and the elderly, as part of self-care and family-care regimes. 

GSK says it launched the campaign after a survey of almost 2,000 people showed that despite 80% of Europeans accepting it as their responsibility to manage their own health, only two in 10 feel confident in being able to do this. Supporting this is a rise in the number of people searching online for ways to treat conditions, highlighting a need for improved patient resources regarding health and self-management. 

GSK will launch the Let’s treat it right campaign with a particular focus on the responsible use of pain medicines, and will look to extend to other areas of everyday health over the coming year. The campaign will look to provide advice to the public about the right use of pain medicines such as how much is right to take and how to properly store and dispose of medicines. 

As well as supporting the public, Let’s treat it right is also intended as a resource for health experts on  the frontline. 

Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of Patient.info says: “As a GP, I get many questions about the  right way to use everyday medicines that are available over the counter. You can find a lot of information  online, but it is not always easy to know which sources to trust. That is why I welcome the launch of initiatives like Let’s Treat it Right. The campaign provides people with trusted information and advice, for  example answering the concerns of parents who have questions about medicine dosage for their  children, and elderly patients who are taking medicines for other health conditions. This will allow people to better manage their pain themselves and do so in a responsible manner. I believe that this approach  to pain management will help to relieve pressure on healthcare systems and have a positive impact on  society globally.” 

Theresa Agnew, Global Head of Pain Relief Category at GSK Consumer Healthcare said: "Accelerated  by the global pandemic, we find ourselves in charge of our health and wellbeing like never before. We  want to empower and support consumers when it comes to the responsible use of medicines and  support the millions of pharmacists and doctors in their crucial role in this. We need to bridge the  knowledge gap and rolling out the Let’s treat it right campaign is an important step towards achieving  that.”