What do Australian consumers, pharmacists and prescribers think about documenting indications on prescriptions and dispensed medicines labels?: A qualitative study (original) (raw)

Users and health professionals perceptions of medication labels: a qualitative approach

Research, Society and Development, 2021

This study analyzed the labeling of medications in Brazil based on the perception of health professionals and users in order to propose modifications and improvements that avoided the error of medication use. The qualitative approach was used to collect data, and the semi-structured interview technique was performed among health professionals and the focal group technique among the users. This collection took place throughout 2017. The main difficulties encountered by drug product respondents were similar labels, the difficulty of finding the items on the labels, the different information on the primary and secondary packaging of the medicines and the difficulty in visualizing information in the labels. And the suggestions were to remove the unnecessary information labels that are considered obvious; and adding or highlighting the dosage information area, the route of administration, the mode of preparation of the medicines and storage form for preservation. About the general modifi...

How do patients read, understand and use prescription labels? An exploratory study examining patient and pharmacist perspectives

International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 2010

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate ease of reading, understanding and usefulness of prescription labels in a real-world setting from patients’ and pharmacists’ perspectives. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional, exploratory study was conducted by interviewing 179 patients and 40 pharmacists in selected community pharmacies. Key findings The average age of patients was 55 years, 65% were females, and 56.4% had a high-school education or more. Pharmacists’ mean age was 40.4 years with 12.8 years of experience. Self-reported ease of reading and understanding was rated as very or somewhat easy by 97.8 and 97.2%, respectively. Most of the patients correctly read (91.6%) and interpreted (89.4%) the label. A majority (90.5%) of patients found the label somewhat or very useful. About half of the pharmacist sample believed patients had difficulty reading or understanding the labels. Conclusions This study, conducted with a sample that approximated the US population in level...

Assessment of current community pharmacist labeling practice: A simulated client approaches

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2024

The labeling of medications includes the provision of information and instructions as well as a unique identity for the medical product. It is one of the most important sources of information for patients. Good labeling practice is critical to ensuring patients' safe and effective use of products. Misreading the label, insufficient data on the label, inappropriate labeling font, writing style, and placement on the dosage form can all have disastrous consequences. The objective of this study was to assess medication labeling practices among community pharmacists in Libya. A simulated client method (SCM) was used, and the study was carried out in the City of Zawia, where 146 local pharmacies were visited over three months for the investigation (January to March 2023). These visits were made at random, without the pharmacist's knowledge. The findings revealed that all dispensed drugs were not labeled, and none of the practicing pharmacists in any pharmacies visited displayed any drug label, printed or handwritten. The majority of pharmacists did not address or explain significant information to the patient in an effective manner, which led to inappropriate and harmful consumption of medications. The absence of dispensed drug labels reduces the patient's knowledge of the necessary information about the medicine, resulting in a treatment deficit or unsuccessful therapy. Thus, more effort should be made by health authorities to instruct pharmacists to use and work according to international labeling standards or to establish local labeling specifications.

Role of Drug Labeling in Promoting Rational Dispensing: A Literature Review

2016

One of the major roles of healthcare professionals is to reduce the incidence of medication errors at healthcare facilities. Poor labeling is one of the major causes contributing towards medication errors and irrational dispensing. The aim of this literature review is to summarize the research findings among developed and developing countries as well as Pakistan related to labeling practices and its role in promoting rational dispensing. A total of 52 published articles were reviewed regarding current labeling practices and factors contributing towards poor labeling practices. The review concluded that labeling practices are in its preliminary stages in many developing countries including Pakistan and is the most neglected area at hospital as well as community pharmacies. There is a need for developing policy regarding devising and implementing standard labeling guidelines on national level. Stakeholders should design the right model to be adopted for dispensing practices in the hea...