Self-medication at Brazil

In times of hysteria searching for a solution to combat the advance of the # covid19 pandemic and, due to recently announcements that some drugs can cause immunity to viruses, I found the article below, written by my youngest daughter, who is only 16 years old, very conducive to this moment and lead us to the reflection about our position and attitude in the face of an unprecedented global crisis and easy access to medicines that are missing for those who actually use them. Follow:

 "Intrinsic in Brazilian society, the sale of medicines has leveraged a true industry. The easy access to medicines - from analgesics to anxiolytics - encourages the population to make recurrent use of them. The impasse arises with the failure to accompany a specialist doctor who instruct its use, often leading to intoxication from those who take a higher dose than indicated.

 The pharmaceutical culture in Brazil began in its pre-colonial years, when it was common for indigenous people to deal with health problems with the use of mixtures of small plants. The tradition was lost in the transition from homeopathy - the one used by natives, of natural origin - to allopathy, which uses chemicals in its composition. In such a way, any and all use of medications must be guided by a specialist, in order to assist the patient and avoid unwanted effects.

 The use of contraindicated drugs, overtime, overdosing and / or unnecessary can be fatal. According to the survey carried out by the pharmacist Gabriel Freitas, SUS (Public Unified Health System) spends about USD 15billion a year just to revert and treat the consequences of self-medication in Brazil. Making proper use of pharmaceutical compounds can not only save the user's life but also save avoidable public spending.

 Therefore, measures are necessary to control such an impasse. It is vital that, first of all, the proliferation of fake news on the subject is characterized as a digital crime and reported by Safernet, directly linked to the Federal Police, the Federal Public Ministry and the Attorney General's Office. At the same time, it is extremely important that the situation be reversed in the same currency: through the internet. The Ministry of Health must invest in online awareness campaigns, so that the mass of the population is reached. Finally, it is necessary that ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency) be an active participant in the supervision of the sale of medicines, opening space for further restrictions. Only through knowledge and communication will it be possible to reverse the situation. "

 Manuela Santana