PRINTER'S NO. 2420
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
468
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY GAYDOS, BERNSTINE, BIZZARRO, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE,
DiGIROLAMO, HEFFLEY, HILL-EVANS, KINSEY, KORTZ, LONGIETTI,
MILLARD, MURT, NEILSON, OTTEN, PICKETT, PYLE, READSHAW, RYAN,
SHUSTERMAN, SONNEY AND ZIMMERMAN, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2019 as "Self-Care Awareness
Month" in this Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, The observance of "Self-Care Awareness Month" in
September reminds residents to pay attention to their health;
and
WHEREAS, Self-care requires an individual to recognize when
it is appropriate to self-treat conditions and when to seek
professional assistance from a health care practitioner; and
WHEREAS, Self-care supports good health and helps develop
lifelong healthy lifestyle choices, including good hygiene
practices, nutritious diet, regular exercise, prevention of
infection and illness, avoiding unhealthy choices and monitoring
for signs and symptoms of changes in health; and
WHEREAS, Self-care is a cornerstone of helping to reduce the
overall cost of health care in this Commonwealth and the
country; and
WHEREAS, Consumers have access to a wide range of over-the-
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counter medications which were originally sold only by
prescription; and
WHEREAS, The United States Food and Drug Administration deems
over-the-counter medicine safe and effective for the self-care
treatment of minor acute and chronic health conditions and
symptoms such as pain, the common cold and allergies, which
impact large segments of the population; and
WHEREAS, Every dollar spent on over-the-counter medicines
saves more than $7 for the health care system, resulting in more
than $146 billion in annual savings; and
WHEREAS, Over-the-counter medical devices used for the
purposes of treatment and testing generate additional annual
savings of $8 billion to the health care system; and
WHEREAS, Over-the-counter medicines help to ease the burden
on health care practitioners, eliminating unnecessary medical
examinations which could be avoided with appropriate self-care;
and
WHEREAS, A reduction in unnecessary visits to health care
practitioners allows doctors and nurses to focus more on
patients who need their special expertise; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of September 2019 as "Self-Care Awareness Month" in this
Commonwealth; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
importance of improving awareness of self-care and the value it
represents to the residents of this Commonwealth; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives acknowledge that
over-the-counter medicines and devices can greatly reduce costs
to the public health system; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage the
residents of this Commonwealth to take advantage of the
availability of self-care to improve personal and public health,
save personal and public treasury and strengthen the
sustainability of the health care system in this Commonwealth.
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