Medicines Day materials freely available for use

‘Instructions for the safe use of medicines’ guide, summaries and easy language video

The ‘Instructions for the safe use of medicines’ guide is aimed at users of medicines living in Finland and contains information on the safe use of medicines, reimbursement, pharmacy services and buying medicines. The guide has been produced by the National Medicines Information Network and is being updated at the beginning of 2024 in English, Swedish and Easy Finnish. 

Three summaries of the main content of the guide have been prepared and translated into several languages. The latest language version will be in Northern Sámi, published in early 2024. The following versions of the summaries are available:

• ‘Instructions for the safe use of medicines’ and its language versions: in Easy Finnish, Swedish and English, Arabic, Kurdish, Somali, Estonian, Russian and Northern Sámi
• ‘Reimbursements for medicines and using pharmacy services’ and its language versions in Easy Finnish, Swedish and English, Arabic, French, Estonian, Russian and Northern Sámi
• ‘Buying medicines in Finland’ and its language versions: Easy Finnish, Swedish and English, Arabic, Dari, Kurdish, Russian, Somali and Northern Sámi

Based on the guide, a video was also produced in autumn 2023, aiming to test a new way of communicating, but also to complement the existing information on the safe use of medicines. 

Checklist - Effective and efficient drug information at different stages of the clinical pathway

A checklist to support the identification and implementation of patients’ information needs related to medication at the different stages of pharmacotherapy will be released at the Medicines Day webinar on 14 March 2024. The checklist has separate versions for the patient and the healthcare professional. 

Are you familiar with the previously published materials? 

Previously published Medicines Day materials are also at your disposal. These include: 

• LOTTA checklist for successful medication – 8 questions about your medication (in Easy Finnish and Swedish)
• List of medicines
  • ‘Making your own medication list (PDF presentation) 
  • ‘What is a medication list?’ video (sign language library, the Finnish Association of the Deaf)
  • Printable medication list template
• Checklist for updating medication information – to support the health care professional (Finnish, Swedish and English)

Get involved in organising Medicines Day 2024

Pharmacotherapy Day will take place on Thursday, 14 March 2024. Medicines Day is a national theme day for medicine users and health care professionals alike. The aim is to encourage medicine users and social and health care professionals to ask questions and discuss medicines and pharmacotherapy. 

Medicines Day is being held in 2024 under the theme "Every day is Medicines Day". The National Medicines Information Network is responsible for the annual theme and for planning Medicines Day. Information about Medicines Day is also available from Innokylä, the Medicines Information Network newsletter and the Tunne lääkkeesi (Know your medicine) Facebook page.

Medicines Day web page (in Finnish)