Bheki Nyathikazi, is a Communication Practitioner, writing in his own capacity
Medication is supposed to improve the quality of a patient’s health and life, but on the contrary, medication can also lead to death if not used properly. All types of medication, either prescribed by a medical doctor or bought over the counter, contains Patient Information Leaflets (PILs), meant to provide users with information about the product, its doses, side effects, as well as safe and effective use.
These information leaflets, written by manufacturing pharmaceutical companies, are inserted in every box. Undoubtedly, it is very important to provide written information to patients about their prescription drug products, for it to be used safely and effectively, to reduce preventable adverse drug reactions and ultimately, improve health outcomes.
However, despite many efforts to improve readability and comprehension, a vast number of patients are still confronted with long texts, written in small font size, in non-comprehensible medical terms and poorly presented statistical information. This leads to misunderstanding of usage and adverse effects, leading to poor patient decisions regarding the prescribed treatment.
After all, non-adherence to prescribed medication regimens contribute to substantial worsening of whatever illnesses or disease a patient is dealing with, thereby adding to healthcare costs and worse, leading to potential death.
More often, medical doctors prescribe medication without providing detailed instructions to patients on how best to use the meds.
If the language in the leaflet is nog a first or second language, the ability to understand medical jargon becomes a bigger problem. Do these pharma companies and doctors not wish to ensure the users are properly advised? Maybe they assume their patients will read the Information leaflets on their own, but the opposite is true. Who has the time to read through small fonts while sick?
A few who take the time to read through PILs only scan through the side effects, because most people know that most medications have side-effects. It is therefore critical that medical practitioners must, at all times, make time to explain the information contained in the inserted leaflets, irrespective of their readability. Pharmacists also, in many instances, explain to users how to take the medication. It has been found that they are more inclined than doctors to take the time to talk to patients.
Let us be honest, the information in those leaflets is not for everyone to understand. It is written in pharmaceutical jargon and sometimes acronyms, users may think they are not supposed to understand. Grand-Pa for example, goes to work fast, but out of desperation to “kill” a headache, others may take more than the prescribed dose thereby triggering side effects and co-morbidities. Any excessive or prolonged use or overdose of medication is not advisable. Also, some patients reading through the PILs may stop taking their medicine altogether when they see the negative side effects listed.
Now, what options do we have? In the hospital setting for example, patients do not receive the packaged leaflet to read, they get the information directly from the healthcare professionals who are taking care of them and are just told to swallow the medication.
All users should have enough information about medication to make informed decisions. You either press your medical doctor to explain, or read PILs. All these people are paid to do their jobs, insist they do them as your life is at stake.
