Current medication guides were found to be of little value to patients, as they are too complex and difficult to understand especially for individuals with limited literacy. Medication guides were assessed by Wolf et al 2012 external icon to determine their effectiveness in adequately informing patients on safe use. Health professionals, such as pharmacists, can help older adults review these types of materials to ensure older adults understand how the medication may affect them. Also, few materials described side effects specific to older adults, and when they did, it was rarely broken down by age group (over 65, over 80). Researchers found most of the materials were written at a high reading level and the font size on most of the materials was too small for ease of reading. Although many preferences varied by patients’ age, education, and health status, most patients preferred to see drug information in a chunked format that is printed in a sans serif font, such as Arial.Īnother 2014 study examined 48 patient medication leaflets on heart disease and type 2 diabetes to identify relevant information for older adults. Participants in one-on-one interviews noted their preference for new PMI handouts over existing medication guides or consumer medication information. PMI handouts are intended to help all consumers understand key information about their prescription medicine. Patient preferences for how best to display patient medication information (PMI) were assessed in a study published in 2014 external icon. Several studies explore how to improve patients’ comprehension of safe and appropriate medication use. However, they are often vague and unnecessarily complex. Medication instructions are often the most tangible, frequently used source of information for patients on proper medication use. Health care professionals and medication labels should provide patients with clear instructions about how to take their medicine correctly. In addition, participants indicated a preference for an icon and wording for maximum daily dose. Participants achieved consensus on an icon to identify products that contain acetaminophen and on a written statement warning of potential liver damage. ![]() Only 31% were aware that acetaminophen is in Tylenol. ![]() ![]() In a 2011 study external icon, less than 50% of focus group participants reported routinely examining product label information. Most products included directions in chart form, while few products expressed dosing instructions in pictographic form. Although most products listed active ingredients on the Drug Facts panel, 18.5% did not list active ingredients on the principal display panel. Overlapping active ingredients across multiple medications put children at risk for overdose.Ī 2012 review external icon of 200 top-selling pediatric oral liquid nonprescription medications found that labeling was often variable and in a format that may impair parent understanding of key medication information, including active ingredient information and dosing instructions. The patient-centered label did not significantly reduce other dosing errors such as taking more than two pills at a time and waiting fewer than four hours between doses.Ī study investigating how parents use active ingredient information external icon found many parents, especially those with low health literacy, do not use active ingredient information as part of decision-making related to administering multiple medications. A study published in 2013 external icon finds a patient-centered label was better at preventing participants from exceeding the maximum dose in 24 hours, compared to a standard label.
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