Purpose\r\nUnderstanding important facts about medicine therapy is needed to improve patient safety and therapy\r\noutcomes. Media advertising of medical products draws the patientââ?¬â?¢s attention to the importance of reading the\r\npatient information leaflet. Despite this, some patients interrupt or change their therapy without prior consultation\r\nwith a health care professional.\r\nThe purpose of this study was to examine if patients read the leaflet, if they understand it, and in case of any\r\ndoubts, if they consult to a pharmacist or doctor for advice.\r\nMethods\r\nResponses to a patient questionnaire (n=708), designed specifically for this study, were analysed to compare\r\npatient attitudes towards medical information. The survey was conducted in 55 pharmacies in Croatia in February\r\n2010.\r\nResults\r\n95.2% of those surveyed stated that they read the patient leaflet when using a medicinal product for the first\r\ntime. The meaning of ââ?¬Å?contraindicationââ?¬Â was known to 37.7% patients, and ââ?¬Å?interactionââ?¬Â to 65.4%. Furthermore, the\r\nterm ââ?¬Å?side effectsââ?¬Â was understood by 91.8% patients of those surveyed, 74.6% of patients consulted a doctor or\r\npharmacist for advice in case of doubts after reading the leaflet, while 78.2% of patients interrupted or changed their\r\ntherapy without prior consultation with a health care professional.\r\nConclusion\r\nInforming patients about medicinal products through a leaflet could be insufficient for successful therapy. The\r\npatient information leaflet should be easily understandable for the patient. The identification of patient needs for\r\ninformation, education and consultation about proper drug administration is a key pharmacist competency that is\r\nstill to be developed.
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