HJR 78 Summary

• Recognizes March 2018 as Self-Care Awareness Month in Alabama to promote awareness of self-care practices including healthy lifestyle choices, hygiene, and appropriate use of over-the-counter medicines.

• Acknowledges that the FDA deems over-the-counter medicines safe and effective for treating minor acute and chronic conditions such as pain, common colds, and allergies.

• States that every dollar spent on over-the-counter medicines saves the U.S. health care system $6 to $7 annually, totaling $102 billion in annual savings.

• Supports increased consumer empowerment through development of new nonprescription medicines and appropriate conversion of certain prescription medicines to nonprescription status.

• Encourages consumers, health care practitioners, policymakers, and regulators to communicate the benefits of self-care and over-the-counter medicines in reducing public health care costs.