According to the Bulgarian legislation, drugs in Bulgaria have always been divided in two types – non-prescription (OTC - Over The Counter) and prescription (Rx- the Latin abbreviation for recipe) that must be stored under lock and key, and patients are not supposed to see them exposed in the pharmacy. A prescription is not required for more than 50% of the medicines on the Bulgarian market. In each country, these drugs are selected by a regulatory agency which ensures that their ingredients are safe, reliable and efficient. Patients often use ОТС products for self-medication, and the group of these drugs includes products that are most frequently used – flu drugs and vaccines, painkillers, supplements, etc. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-medication as a factor that enhances health prevention and specifies it as one of the elements of national health strategies. The advantages of self-medication will become even more significant: for patients - a remedy for their condition, reduced health-related absence from work, and a cheaper treatment; for the society - a more adequate management of the “free-of-charge” public services, no ambulatory expenses, no treatment expenses, no expenses for statutory sick pay, better overall health care outcomes.
 

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