Health in Your Hands? Asia's Top Health Experts Say 'Yes' and Reveal How
- Over 100 healthcare leaders from 11 countries/regions convene at APSMI Summit to advance consumer-led self-care in healthcare.
- The Summit highlights the importance of empowering individuals with knowledge and tools to support resilient health systems.
BALI, Indonesia, Oct. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 healthcare leaders from 11 Asia-Pacific countries and regions gathered at the Asia Pacific Self-Medication Industry (APSMI) Summit 2025 in Bali to accelerate self-care solutions for the region.
With the theme "Self-Care in Healthcare: From Shared Vision to Shared Action," the Summit emphasized the need to turn shared understanding into practical, evidence-based actions across Asia Pacific. Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care empowers individuals to maintain health, prevent illness, and manage conditions responsibly—strengthening both communities and health systems.
Rachmadi Joesoef, Chairman of APSMI, Representative GP Farmasi and CEO PT Konimex, said the Summit marks another milestone in promoting responsible self-care, bringing together regulators, industry, and healthcare experts to translate collaboration into impact.
Following the Bangkok Joint Initiative on Self-Care of Medical Products launched in 2024, this year's Summit focused on moving from vision to action—developing frameworks and partnerships to close the "self-care gap" caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and health literacy disparities. A key driver of this transformation is Self-CARER (Self-Medication Collaborative ASIAN Regulatory Expert Round Table), a platform that unites regulatory authorities, healthcare experts, and the self-medication industry to embed responsible self-care into national health frameworks.
Dr. Junko Sato, Co-Chair of Self-CARER (PMDA Japan), said, "Self-CARER is a strategic coalition uniting Regulatory Authorities, Healthcare Experts, and the Asia-Pacific Self-Medication Industry (APSMI) to embed responsible self-care into national health frameworks."
Seema Sundaresan- Self-CARERs Regulatory Streamlining Work Group Leader & P&G Senior Director (Regulatory Affairs) , added that collaboration and harmonized regulatory practices are essential to ensuring timely, affordable, and high-quality self-care solutions. Dr. Deepa Maharaj, Digital Work Group Leader and Opella Global HCP Expert, highlighted that with over 70% of Asia-Pacific consumers now digitally literate, digital health tools such as e-pharmacy and e-labelling are crucial to expanding safe and equitable access to healthcare information and products.
On the regulators' perspectives, Dita Novianti Sugandi Argadiredja , Director of Pharmaceutical Production and Distribution, Indonesia Ministry of Health, said, "The Ministry of Health is driving a comprehensive transformation of our national healthcare system, built upon six key pillars: transforming primary services, referral services, health resilience system, reforming health financing, human resources, and technology. The central goal is to empower our communities to live healthier, more productive lives. Responsible self-care is a vital component of this vision, particularly through strengthening primary care and adoption of digital health technology. By increasing health literacy and ensuring the availability of safe, high-quality, and independent pharmaceutical products, we can foster a society proactive in managing its own health. APSMI Summit is critical for strengthening the collaboration needed to achieve these shared goals and build a healthier, more resilient Indonesia."
Prof. Taruna Ikrar, Head of Indonesian FDA (BPOM) reaffirmed the commitment to advancing a modern regulatory framework that supports safe and responsible self-medication. BPOM believes that empowering the public through greater access to information and quality products is key to enhancing consumer protection. APSMI Summit 2025 provides an important platform for collaboration between regulators and industry to strengthen collective efforts and ensure that all citizens can practice self-medication safely and effectively. BPOM is committed to formulating regulations that balance technological progress with public protection, focused on 2 main objectives: a. Ensuring the safety, efficacy and quality of drug, provide complete, clear, objective information for patient use, b. Encouraging responsible health innovation.
The APSMI Summit 2025 concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration, fostering public-private partnerships, and developing a clear roadmap for integrating self-care into national and regional health strategies.
By uniting regulators, industry leaders, and health experts, APSMI and Self-CARER are paving the way for a healthier, more resilient Asia-Pacific, where self-care becomes a cornerstone of universal health coverage.
Media Contacts:
APSMI
Ruchita Mehra – [email protected], M: +91 98209 86056
Anama O'Reilly – [email protected], M: +65 9616 9557
Ogilvy Indonesia
Kartika Sugiarto – [email protected], M: +62 813 8209 4435
SOURCE Asia Pacific Self-Medication Industry
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