[Status of drug knowledge in the population]

In the 'Self-Medication' NFP-8 Study (National Research Programme No.8: 'Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Swiss Health Service') an attempt has been made to assess the population's basic knowledge about the proper way of dealing with drugs. The study shows that nearly a third of the adult population has insufficient knowledge. Women and better educated people have above average knowledge whereas old people and, paradoxically, those belonging to specific risk groups (e.g. diabetics, hypertensive persons, regular consumers of alcoholic drinks etc.) tend to underestimate the potential dangers of self medication. The study further suggests that a greater knowledge of drugs promotes a more active attitude to information. On the other hand a comparison with the results of other surveys leads to the conclusion that the existing basic knowledge about the risks of self-medication is often not translated into the appropriate attitude. This is why it is considered all the more important to develop strategies specific to consumer groups which are geared to motivating individual drug consumers to adopt the proper attitude to the problem.