Teachers can support children and young people in the safe use of medicines

Teachers can increase the health skills of children and young people and strengthen their decision-making skills in matters related to their own health. The Healthy Pupil (tervekoululainen.fi) website, maintained by the UKK Institute, helps in achieving these goals. The website provides teaching materials on health care, physical activity, sleep and nutrition. 

The website also has materials produced and maintained by the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea. The materials are on medicines and their correct use.  In addition to teachers in comprehensive education, the information package and its materials are also useful for guardians and healthcare professionals.

Reliable information can influence attitudes related to the use of medicines 

We all have to use medicines at some point in our lives, and sometimes the use of medicines may even be vital. Medicines are special commodities used to prevent or treat illnesses or symptoms.

Children gradually learn about the use of medicines and adopt ways of using medicines through their everyday experiences. It is important that responsibility for one’s own health and for the use of medicines is transferred gradually to children and young people under the guidance of an adult and in accordance with their age and level of development.

The goal of medicines education is to increase information on medicines and their safe use, to influence attitudes and to promote the development of positive health behaviour. Open discussion and reliable information on medicines and on their appropriate use can influence the views adopted by children and young people. Processing and evaluation of medicine-related information is becoming even more important as the amount of medicinal information, and misinformation, keeps growing. 

Teaching the correct and safe way to use medicines is also an important first step in preventing misuse of medicines. 

Lesson plans for teachers and assignments for schoolchildren

The medicines education material contains an extensive information package on the correct use of medicines and on reliable sources of medicinal information. The material also includes ready-made assignments and lesson plans for teachers, suitable for different grades. Most of the assignments can be done digitally using a web browser. 

Fimea and the UKK Institute continue cooperation to promote medicines education

Fimea and the UKK Institute have renewed their cooperation agreement on maintaining medicines education materials on the Healthy Pupil website. Cooperation began in 2022, and bringing the education materials to comprehensive school teachers has gone smoothly ever since. Where applicable, the materials support the objectives and content areas of the curriculum (OPS 2016) for environmental studies in lower comprehensive school and health education in upper comprehensive school.

“We have been very satisfied with our cooperation with the UKK Institute. They are well-connected with comprehensive schools’ class teachers, physical education teachers, health education teachers and school nurses, whose work the medicines education materials are primarily meant to support,” says Director General Eija Pelkonen. 

“The medicines education materials have been an excellent addition to the contents of the Healthy Pupil website. Cooperation has gone smoothly over the years,” notes Juha Mustonen, Director of Finance and Administration at the UKK Institute.  

Healthy Pupil website (UKK Institute)

Medicines education assignments for upper comprehensive school

Medicines education assignments for lower comprehensive school