Self-care has "the potential to support delivery of the Government’s ambitions for prevention, neighbourhood health, NHS productivity and economic growth" it says. "However, realising that potential requires action across four cross-cutting enablers. Together these enablers will help ensure self-care becomes an active component of NHS reform rather than an assumed individual behaviour."

The key enablers oulined in the roadmap are: prioritising self-care in policy and decision-making; embedding self-care within care pathways and local services; improving access to trusted information and digital tools; and accelerating the reclassification of appropriate medicines from prescription-only to over-the-counter. 

• The Government should appoint PAGB to the Life Sciences Council to represent the views and needs of the OTC sector
• The DHSC should integrate self-care and pharmacy’s supporting role into ongoing neighbourhood health service design and governance
• ICBs should be supported to establish clear and joined-up referral and feedback processes between community pharmacy, general practice and wider neighbourhood services
• A sustained nationwide campaign should be launched to enhance public awareness of self-care and the importance and methods of accessing trusted self-care advice
• The MHRA’s 5-year strategy must include actions to maximise the role of reclassification in economic growth, health benefits and global regulatory leadership
• The MHRA should drive reclassification decisions proactively by horizon scanning for medicines that could support self-care across priority self-treatable conditions.