We are consuming more and more medications but asking experts less and less about their effects and risks, a panel discussion of health experts heard.
Consulting health experts about the affects and possible consequences of taking medication has to be part of every self-treatment, the panel heard on the occasion of Croatian Pharmacists' Day.
However, the latest surveys on that indicate that almost 60% of citizens take medication without consulting experts and that Google Doctor is their primary source of information.
That information can be obtained from pharmacists. However, people younger than 65 often take drugs without previously consulting experts.
In the past five years consumption of non-prescription drugs has doubled, and a survey by the Hendal polling agency conducted in June this year showed that almost 60% of citizens take such medication without consulting their physician or pharmacist.