Drug Promotion in Self-Care and Self-Medication

Bernard Sorofman Awareness of self-care for health has increased in recent years. Information is obtained through a wide variety of promotional activities about symptoms and treatments to assist in the determination of self-care actions. Sources of lay oriented self-care information include traditional health industry advertising, lay initiated self-care / self-help information, manufacturers' direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and indirect-to-consumer promotional activities such as “medical breakthrough” news releases. This article covers several forms of medication promotion for self-care and explores the “medicalization” and “pharmaceuticalization” of self-care for health by health professionals.