FUTURE GROWTH IN SELF-CARE

Given the tidal wave of change in healthcare, what are the opportunities and challenges for self care?

By design (Government and Employer directive) or by default (less access, higher out of pocket costs) the consumer will be forced to take more control of their health. Creating new consumer healthcare businesses that result in better outcomes through better self care will be a key leadership challenge. Today, self care is a critical part of healthcare; however value comes not only from medicine availability but increasingly from information and knowledge that helps consumers make the right choices:

• American tradition of self reliance means consumers want more self care choice and greater access to medicines, but the complexity of choice is impenetrable for many
• Currently more than half of all medicines are OTC and yet the OTC market only accounts for 2 cents of every healthcare dollar spent
• Self care is the first choice considered by the uninsured
  (47MM) / underinsured (70MM) .
• Doctor visits are declining — but it is unclear whether this is driven by cost, lack of access or availability of better OTC medicines
• The public health benefits of historical Rx to OTC switches come from increasing consumer access to important medicines

The Atlantis Group Consumer HealthCare Innovation and Rx/OTC Switch Toolkit >