Research reveals that self-care actions were critical for Latin Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic

• The research displays the results of 9 countries in Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama.

• An efficient regulatory framework may accelerate the digital transition and guarantee the confidence and security of citizens.  

São Paulo, February 1, 2022. Self-ware was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain health, cope with illness, and relieve pressure on health systems. In this period, more Latin Americans relied on self-care measures to maintain their health, treat the symptoms of non-serious conditions, and control chronic conditions, according to the recent Study of COVID-19 impact on health habits, use, and purchase of over-the-counter medications, and experience with digital services made for the Latin American Association of Responsible Self-Care ( ILAR). 

Through online interviews, Inception Research Agency executed the study consisting of quantitative research carried out on Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama. The sample included 4,667 respondents, of whom 57% were women and 43% were men. Four thematic blocks were analyzed:

• Self-care measures.

• Selection, purchase, and use of over-the-counter medications.

• Information and education for health.

• Use and experience with digital services.

Self-care measures.

The context of the pandemic prompted people to reflect and become more aware of their everyday health. 84% of those surveyed declared that self-management of their health is highly relevant, highlighting the importance of adequate health promotion and self-care policy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people practiced self-care measures and gained new experiences with digital services such as telemedicine. 

Self-care encompasses the knowledge that people have about health, healthy eating, physical activity, mental well-being, risk prevention, good hygiene, and the rational, responsible, and safe use of health products and services. Self-care actions help reduce the volume of people seeking care in health institutions and generate savings for public health systems. 

Internationally, the COVID-19 health crisis has caused health systems to be saturated and many primary care providers were inaccessible due to the challenges of face-to-face care. In this scenario, 56% of Latin Americans suspended their medical consultations and 21% interrupted treatments that required a prescription.

Among the self-care activities carried out by Latin Americans, 73% of those surveyed mentioned healthy eating and physical activity and 49% mentioned the possibility of acquiring over-the-counter medications (OTC) to treat minor conditions.

Despite the increase in the relevance that self-care has for the well-being and empowerment of people, 52% stated that they do not consider having the adequate level of knowledge to take self-care actions with confidence.

This shows that there is still a long way to go to improve health literacy in Latin America to provide people the tools and information that facilitate making healthy choices about diet, lifestyle, immunizations, and access to safe and effective over-the-counter medications to treat simple illnesses or symptoms, among other things.

Selection, purchase, and use of self-care products

The use of OTC medicines is present in different stages of self-care, including preventive activities for health care to effective actions to relieve symptoms of non-serious conditions.

OTCs are a trusted first line of defense for healthcare providers and consumers. The availability of these products provides a way for those without easy access to healthcare services to access affordable, safe, and effective treatment options. 

According to the study, for 91% of Latin Americans, it was easy to access common safe treatments without the recommendation of a health professional. On average, 86% stated that there was sufficient availability of OTC options during the pandemic. 

Colombia and Costa Rica were the countries with the highest availability of OTC (90%), followed by Argentina and Guatemala (89%), Brazil (86%), Mexico (85%), Chile, and Panama (both with 80%). Although Peru had the lowest percentage (79%), it is not far behind Chile and Panama in terms of the availability of OTC alternatives.

Regarding purchase channels, it is worth noting that 30% used e-commerce at least once to purchase OTCs, which indicates growth in e-commerce for MVL in the region. Previous ILAR studies in 2018 and 2019 showed that the percentage of users who bought medicines online in the region was 2% and 3%, respectively, significantly showing a 10 times growth. 

It is possible to introduce a regulatory approach to strengthen the supervision and surveillance of online activities that will ultimately contribute to the sustainable development of e-commerce companies by country. For example, OTC medicines sold through electronic commerce must contain all the necessary labeling information as required by the health authority of each country.

Information and education for health

There is a demand for information in the Latin American population. Providing people with health tools and knowledge can empower them and increase their resilience, helping them manage their health and well-being in complex situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the responsible and safe consumption of OTCs, the user must be well informed. 91% of those surveyed stated that they would like to receive more information to take better care of their health and self-manage simple and non-serious conditions.

The top three sources they go to for advice on medications for relief of minor symptoms are health professionals, family and friends, and internet searches. In this sense, 90% of Latin Americans say they look for information about medicines on the Internet and 94% consider it essential to have more details on the Internet, mainly related to price, correct use, and the medicine's prospectus.

62% consider the availability of information on medicines on digital websites to be sufficient, placing this source above the product labeling, which only 30% consider sufficient. 

Online visits to medical websites, pharmacies, and other online establishments demonstrate the relevance of these channels. OTC sales through e-commerce have grown significantly and there is a greater need for electronic drug information.

Among the sources of consultation analyzed that generate greater confidence in the users, 57% of the region prefer online sites of pharmacies and other establishments, even 45% approve of the incorporation of new technologies in the packaging, such as the quick response code (QR), to obtain more information about the medicine.

Digital access allows people to make responsible inquiries to obtain information and be able to make an informed decision to manage their health. The availability of this information reflects the commitment of the industry and the government to provide adequate knowledge adjusted to the specific needs of the population. 

Public health could benefit from the implementation of advanced technologies in drug labeling to provide electronic access that facilitates the availability of the latest information on the safety, benefits, and conditions of use of a drug approved by the regulators, and that provides additional knowledge that supports and improves health literacy and informs about the correct use of the medicine.

Use and experience with digital services

In an environment with mobility restrictions and a lack of access to health professionals, digital solutions such as telemedicine have been key to facilitating medical care and monitoring symptoms in patients.

In Latin America, 42% of those surveyed used telemedicine during the pandemic, and of these, 92% said they had a positive experience and 85% would use it again after the pandemic. It is noteworthy that in Brazil, 47% indicated that they did not use any digital health consultation service, while Colombia had the highest percentage of use (66%).

Regarding telephone applications, 56% used digital services and of these, 93% would continue to do so after the pandemic to obtain information about symptoms, monitor healthy activities, follow up, care or appointments for medical consultations, and monitor related symptoms. or not with COVID-19.

Considering the study results, the COVID-19 pandemic sets a strong base for health digitalization. Efforts must continue to ensure a harmonized and equitable digital transition in Latin America, including greater digital channels for access to health such as telemedicine and electronic commerce; greater integration of mobile technologies to provide responsible information on health and medical assistance, and the challenge of providing universal internet coverage and digital services for the population.

ILAR supports effective regulatory measures that adequately protect and empower users, encourage the practice of responsible self-care, facilitate access to and proper use of over-the-counter medicines and other health products, promote health literacy, and ensure continuity of care. medical care.  

Regulators, policy and decision-makers, the industry, and people, in general, have to work together to accelerate the digital transition effort to provide an efficient regulatory framework for digital innovations, while guaranteeing the confidence and security of citizens.

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