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Most patients do not carefully read the labels on drug packages
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Many older patients do not carefully read warning labels on drug packages that are critical to their safe and effective use, according to a study by a group of scientists from Kansas State University and Michigan State University led by Laura Bix.
Participants in the study were given a hypothetical scenario in which they had just purchased a medicine from a pharmacy and were studying the information on its packaging. The researchers used a special device to track the subjects' eye movements and measure the attention they paid to a particular part of the packaging.
It turned out that more than 50% of the study participants over the age of 50 (average age 62 years) did not notice the warning labels on the packaging. At the same time, 22% of people in this age category did not notice the warning labels on any of the 5 proposed drug packages. 90% of the subjects aged 20-29 years (average age 23 years) paid attention to all the warning labels.
The purpose of this study is to draw attention to the problem of drug packaging design. This is especially relevant in light of the fact that the US government has recently begun developing regulations to standardize the format and content of drug labels in order to reduce the number of adverse drug effects associated with patient error. In the US, approximately 15 million cases of incorrect drug use are registered annually. The largest number of these occur in outpatient treatment due to patient inattention.
The researchers say the findings could help develop more effective drug packaging design standards to help draw patients' attention to critical information.
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