CITOX IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: HARM REDUCTION AND PREVENTION OF SELF-MEDICATION THROUGH HEALTH EDUCATION AT THE BASIC UNIT AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

Medicines play a significant role in health systems to promote people's well-being, but they can trigger health problems as a result of irrational use and self-medication. In Brazil, there has been a significant increase in self-medication since the COVID-19 pandemic, which confirms that this is a public health problem that needs to be evaluated and addressed. This article reports the experience of a project developed together with the Curricularized Extension Activity (ACE) of the Toxicological Information Center of Ufal (CITox), in the Pharmacy course, whose objective was to carry out actions to prevent self-medication in primary health care, at the Professor José Gilberto de Macedo Teaching Assistance Unit (UDA-Ufal), with Health Education as a guiding approach and emphasizing the reduction of toxicological harm, through the dissemination of strategic health information to the community, in person and through social media (WhatsApp® and Instagram®). In view of the execution of the actions, it was possible to observe the lack of specific knowledge about medicines on the part of the population and the importance of the permanent dissemination of strategic health information, taking care not to negatively influence people's therapeutic adherence to restore their health. Furthermore, the project demonstrated that Health Education, both in person and through social media, is an effective strategy for promoting the responsible and rational use of medicines, contributing significantly to the promotion of public health and the reduction of toxicological risks associated with self-medication, in addition to quality training for future health professionals.