Communicating with Patients about Their Medications

This research presents a meta-anatomy of the human pancreas, a probabilistic assessment of the immune system and its response to chemotherapy, which shows clear patterns of decline in the immune systems of men and women aged 50 and over.

Abstract

We live at a time when consumers and patients want to know more about\nthe food they consume and the drugs they take, and their appetite for\ninformation is growing. Yet the nation is also facing a communications gap\nthat has serious implications for the public health. This gap extends from\nwhat patients want to know about their medicines to what they actually learn\nfrom their physicians and pharmacists. The uncertainties of patients, who\nreceive approximately 1.5 billion prescriptions a year, contribute to the\nfailure of many of them to benefit fully from their medications. Evidence\nsuggests that inadequate communication about drugs is one of the principal\nreasons why 30 to 55 percent of patients deviate from their medical regimens. \nPatients' misunderstanding of the proper use of medications is also an\nunderlying cause of many adverse drug reactions. Now that computers, data\nbanks, and rapid printers are common, we can do much better. Commercial\nadvertising is not a suitable vehicle for educating the public about the risks\nand benefits of drugs. In my view, bridging the information gap is a matter\nof high priority for consumers, providers, and the Food and Drug\nAdministration.