Most patients do not carefully read the labels on the medicine packs
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Many older patients do not carefully read the warning labels on medicine packs that are critical for their safe and effective use. Such conclusions allow to make results of research of group of scientists from Kansas and Michagan universities (Kansas State University, Michigan State University) under the guidance of Laura Bix (Laura Bix).
Participants in the study were offered a hypothetical scenario according to which they had just purchased a drug in a pharmacy and were studying the information on its packaging. Scientists using a special device tracked the movement of the eyes of the subjects and measured the attention they paid to one or another part of the package.
It was found out that more than 50% of study participants over the age of 50 (average age 62 years) did not notice the warning labels on the package. At the same time, 22% of persons of this age group did not notice warning labels on any of the 5 proposed packages of drugs. 90% of subjects at the age of 20-29 years (mean age 23 years) drew attention to all warning signs.
The purpose of this study is to draw attention to the problem of packaging of medicines. This is especially true in the light of the fact that the US government has recently begun developing rules that allow standardizing the format and content of labels on drug packages in order to reduce the number of undesirable effects of medication that are associated with patient errors. In the United States, about 15 million cases of misuse of medicines are annually recorded. The largest number of them occurs with out-patient treatment because of inattention of patients.
According to the researchers, the data obtained will help to develop more effective standards for the design of drug packages, which can attract patients' attention to critical information.
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