[Self-medication and safety]

Most drugs used for self-medication act on pain, diarrhea, constipation, gastric acid hypersecretion, or allergic diseases. They are generally well-tolerated, provided the recommended dose regimen is respected. Most adverse effects result from misuse (wrong indication, overdose, interactions, etc.). Self-medication can also be harmful by masking an underlying disease. Most of these untoward effects are avoidable. Severe adverse effects requiring hospital admission are easy to identify, but some milder reactions may only be discovered by chance. We discuss how to improve the safety of self-medication, particularly by involving public health stakeholders such as general practitioners, pharmacists and pharmaceutical firms, both through personal contact with self-medication users and through the mass media.