The self-care industry has much to offer economies, societies and national health systems, which are under increasing pressure.
This is the key message from industry, represented by global, regional and national associations, in this collection of responses to the question:
What will 2025 be the year of?
Widening access via Rx-to-OTC switch and digital innovation are two ways that industry can expand self-care, which associations will support alongside raising awareness among consumers about the responsible use of self-care products, including sustainable disposal.
At the same time, associations will be helping companies to make a positive impact on the natural environment, as well as managing the impact of associated regulatory frameworks like the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
Greg Perry, Director General, Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF)
2025 will be the year of advancing global self-care policy.
The international consumer health industry continues to prioritize environmental sustainability and advancing universal health coverage (UHC). These challenges remain at the forefront of global public health, and GSCF is committed to driving impactful policy developments. Additionally, this year will see a special focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) alongside ongoing efforts in regulatory strengthening.
In 2025, GSCF will intensify efforts on plastics and packaging by collaborating with other health industries to present a unified stance on the United Nations Plastics Treaty. Key initiatives include leading innovation in sustainable blister packs and advocating for environmentally friendly packaging for non-prescription medicines and food supplements.
The upcoming year also marks a pivotal moment for UHC. Building on prior advocacy efforts, GSCF will push for self-care to be firmly embedded within the World Health Organization’s UHC framework. Key goals include: promoting the integration of self-care into national health systems; raising awareness and securing political support for self-care; and mobilizing resources to implement evidence-based interventions.
Additionally, significant focus will be on the fight against NCDs, culminating in a UN General Assembly resolution later in the year. GSCF’s efforts will center on embedding self-care into NCD prevention and treatment, with targeted emphasis on: oral health initiatives; tobacco cessation programs; highlighting the role of minerals, vitamins, and supplements in health management.
Strengthening regulatory frameworks remains a critical priority. GSCF will: leverage its position within the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH); deepen collaboration with the WHO on regulatory reliance; and partner with global stakeholders to advance regulatory improvements.
These efforts aim to enhance access to self-care health products through efficient and reliable regulatory systems, ensuring broader consumer reach and impact.
Jurate Švarcaite, Director General, Association of the European Self-Care Industry (AESGP)
2025 will be the year of prevention, innovation and a competitive self-care industry.
As healthcare systems across Europe face mounting pressures and governments increasingly focus on defense and crisis preparedness, 2025 will be pivotal for self-care. Self-care empowers individuals to manage their health, playing a critical role in society’s resilience during times of crisis. Through innovation and industrial competitiveness, the self-care industry will rise to meet these challenges, enabling healthier societies and more efficient healthcare systems.
Already saving €36.72bn annually across Europe, self-care allows individuals to address minor ailments independently, reducing strain on overburdened healthcare systems. By shifting non-urgent cases away from general practitioners - saving 1bn hours per year - self-care ensures timely care for those with serious conditions while strengthening system efficiency. In moments of crisis, this capability becomes even more vital, allowing healthcare systems to focus on urgent needs.
Innovation will play a key role in expanding self-care’s scope in 2025. Digital health tools, such as telemedicine platforms and health apps, will enable people to make informed decisions about minor ailments from the comfort of their homes. At the same time, regulatory progress, such as the reclassification of more prescription medicines to OTC status, will further enhance accessibility.
Self-care will also solidify its position as a pillar of Europe’s industrial competitiveness. The self-care sector exemplifies the dual priorities of economic growth and sustainability, generating societal savings of €6.70 for every Euro spent on non-prescription medicines. The Antwerp Declaration’s call for a European Industrial Deal highlights the importance of supporting sectors like self-care, which drive innovation and resilience in Europe’s economy.
Finally, sustainability will be at the forefront. From eco-friendly product designs to greener supply chains, the self-care industry will respond to growing consumer demand for sustainable solutions, contributing to the EU’s Green Deal goals. In 2025, self-care will not only improve health outcomes but also advance Europe’s ambitions for open competitiveness and sustainability.
Juan Thompson, Executive President, Latin American Association of Responsible Self-Care (ILAR)
2025 will be the year of self-care policy, simplified access and health literacy transformation in Latin America.
In 2025, Latin America will witness significant advancements in self-care through its increased inclusion in national health policies, improved access to self-care products thanks to simplified regulatory frameworks, and empowered individuals with high health and self-care literacy.
The progress made in 2024 by ILAR, in collaboration with national associations, healthcare professionals, and regulatory agencies, sets the stage for the implementation of accelerated, risk-based pathways for self-care product approval. These improvements will foster healthcare systems efficiency and sustainability, and make self-care and products more accessible to individuals.
Empowering people through improved health literacy remains a priority. ILAR’s Health Literacy Index study in Mexico and Colombia highlights the need for accessible, clear health information to help individuals confidently manage their health. Strengthening health literacy will foster responsible self-medication and build trust in self-care practices.
On the policy front, self-care is becoming integral to national health strategies. The São Paulo Declaration and ILAR’s efforts to support the World Health Organization’s self-care resolution have elevated self-care’s profile on the global agenda. Countries like Brazil and Mexico are poised to embed self-care practices into their health policy frameworks, promoting preventive healthcare and individual empowerment.
In 2025, the convergence of self-care policy advancements, simplified regulatory access, and enhanced health literacy will drive improved health outcomes across Latin America. ILAR remains committed to supporting these initiatives, ensuring self-care becomes a fundamental pillar of sustainable healthcare in the region.
Michelle Riddalls, CEO at PAGB, the UK Consumer Healthcare Association
2025 will be the year of PAGB’s new five-year strategy.
I am excited to accelerate the progress we’ve made in raising the profile of self-care and reclassification among parliamentarians and policymakers. There’s immense potential with the change in UK government, and PAGB is well-positioned to capitalise on this opportunity.
PAGB has been influential and the core driver behind the agenda for self-care for decades, in fact for more than a century – it is what we as the consumer association stand for and it is what consumers want and need. But bigger than this, self-care can save the UK National Health Service. Self-treatable conditions – such as colds, indigestion, headaches, allergies and insect bites and stings etc – affect the entire population with over two thirds of adults experiencing three or more self-treatable conditions during the last year. Self-care can be a quick and convenient avenue for the public to take to address these conditions. Despite this, each year at least 25m doctor’s appointments and 5m hospital visits are used for these self-treatable illnesses. If the individuals using these appointments were empowered to self-care using OTC medicines instead, it could save the UK National Health Service at least £1.7bn per year. Additional NHS savings of £6.4bn could be avoided from prescription costs. This is a message we will be delivering consistently to policymakers and stakeholders, ensuring that self-care is recognised as a key solution to easing NHS strain and improving public health.
Community pharmacy is integral to self-care, including the widened prescribing powers through the Pharmacy First Scheme. Greater access to OTC medicines will further increase GP capacity and bring further savings to the NHS and the wider economy. A report commissioned by ourselves - The Economic Impact of Over-The-Counter Medicines in the UK (authored by independent analysts Frontier Economics) estimates that a 5% reduction in NHS prescribing due to reclassification could save £1.4bn in avoidable NHS costs per year. Moreover, three in four people want more medicines available from pharmacy without a prescription. Community pharmacy teams are well placed to provide self-care from OTC medicines as they have the training, expertise and professional judgement. This allows consumers to access the self-care treatment they need quickly and conveniently with no appointment, saving doctor and patient time, NHS money and money in the wider economy.
Dorothee Brakmann, Director General, Pharma Deutschland (formerly BAH)
2025 will be the year of decision-making regarding the direction of European and German pharmaceutical policies.
We look forward to the year 2025 and how the political framework for the pharmaceutical industry in Germany and the EU will develop. Planned reforms must be implemented and promising approaches must be pursued further.
At the European level, the European Commission faces the task of creating a regulatory environment that promotes innovation while securing the supply of medicines in Europe. To achieve this, the Critical Medicine Act must be urgently adopted. With the EU Pharmaceutical Package and the reform of the Medical Devices Directive, two more important reforms are on the agenda. The Medical Devices Directive is particularly pressing. It is an important step towards greater patient safety.
The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) will be one of the most pressing topics for the pharmaceutical industry in 2025. The directive further exacerbates the situation of pharmaceutical companies which are already under enormous price pressure. It is crucial to prevent an essentially welcomed environmental policy measure from becoming the greatest threat to the stressed health financing system in Germany and the vulnerable supply of medicines.
At the end of February, a new federal government will be elected in Germany. The new government must continue and intensify what the previous government began with the national pharmaceutical strategy: making Germany more attractive as a pharmaceutical location and thereby strengthening innovation capacity, investment plans, and the reliable availability of medicines. The pharmaceutical industry is a key industry for Germany, which we urgently need to make Germany competitive again and strengthen the revenue side of social security systems.
Luc Besançon, Executive Director, NèreS
2025 will be the year of ensuring a sustainable future for health and for the selfcare industry
With mounting evidence, self-care will increasingly be recognized as a solution to many healthcare challenges, garnering greater political support.
In France, new regulatory approaches are expected to be introduced in 2025. Among the positive developments is the pilot phase of the electronic Patient Information Leaflet, which, for the first time in Europe, includes OTC medicines (i.e. paracetamol and proton pump inhibitors). Additionally, the French Medicines Agency will revise the switch process, following the 2024 simplification aimed at making certain OTC medicines available directly to patients at community pharmacies (i.e., medicines stored before the counter). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture will further embrace its new regulatory role in food supplements, with anticipated updated for the maximum allowable doses of nutrients and other substances included in these products.
Environmental issues will remain a key focus for self-care. The NèreS Environmental Charter, which formalizes the collective commitment to sustainable self-care and self-care products, will be launched. Additionally, with the adoption of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) in December 2024, preparations for its transposition into French law will begin. In this context, several studies commissioned by NèreS will support its advocacy efforts and provide valuable guidance to its members.
Grigoris Karelos, President, Greek Association of Self-Care (EFEX), and General Manager South East Europe, Kenvue
2025 will be a year of transformative progress and pivotal collaboration.
In Greece, the realization of our efforts to expand the OTC medicines list with 30 additional active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) marks a significant milestone in enhancing accessibility to self-care solutions and expanding our market. This achievement underscores our commitment to empowering individuals to manage their health responsibly while reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. Equally important are our initiatives to strengthen cooperation with pharmacists, ensuring they remain central to the self-care ecosystem as trusted advisors. On the policy front, our advocacy for key directives such as the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive emphasizes the importance of environmentally sustainable practices in healthcare, but those practises should be implemented fairly across all industries.
At the European level, the self-care community faces the critical challenge of shaping a pharmaceutical law revision that reflects modern healthcare realities. A crucial priority is preserving the OTC status of antimicrobials, recognizing their essential role in responsible self-medication and mitigating unnecessary pressures on healthcare systems. Furthermore, it is imperative for health authorities to acknowledge and integrate the contributions of self-care into European healthcare frameworks. Self-care not only fosters patient autonomy but also plays a vital role in sustaining healthcare systems under financial and operational strain. Advocacy efforts in 2025 will focus on ensuring that self-care remains at the forefront of European health policy, driving innovation, accessibility, and resilience across the continent.
Diana Mereu, CEO, Romanian Association of the Self-Care Industry (RASCI)
2025 will be the year of progress in accessible and informed self-care in Romania.
In 2025, self-care in Romania is set to make significant strides toward becoming more accessible and informed, reflecting RASCI’s commitment to fostering a culture of health responsibility. While challenges remain, key advancements in both regulatory frameworks and consumer awareness are expected to shape the future of self-care practices. Thus, we expect self-care to evolve from a reactive approach to a more preventative practice, in closer alignment with our mission to empower individuals to manage their own health through education and access to high-quality health products, integrated services and information from reliable sources.
The past few years have underscored the importance of personal responsibility in maintaining health. The ongoing pressure on healthcare systems highlights the critical role of OTC products, food supplements, medical devices and digital health tools in managing everyday health needs. In the coming year, we anticipate further alignment with the EU’s regulatory initiatives, which aim to enhance the safety, transparency, and quality of self-care products. RASCI will continue to advocate for clear and reliable guidance to help Romanian consumers and healthcare professionals make informed choices.
At the same time, health literacy will remain a top priority. Through ongoing educational efforts and collaboration with stakeholders, we hope to gradually empower individuals to take a more active role in their health management. However, we recognize that achieving widespread behavioral change will require sustained effort, and progress may vary across different communities. Additionally, as environmental consciousness grows, the self-care sector in Romania is beginning to explore more sustainable practices. While this is an encouraging trend, broader adoption will depend on overcoming economic and logistical challenges.
For RASCI, 2025 will be a year of continued advocacy and collaboration, laying the groundwork for more accessible and trusted self-care solutions. Although progress may be incremental, each step brings us closer to a healthier, more resilient society, driving better outcomes for individuals and communities alike.
To view all articles in the HBW 2025 series click here.