Patient information leaflets: friend or foe? (October 2015)

Summary

Every registered medication has an information insert in its package. This patient leaflet provides information on the product, which includes clinical pharmacology, recommended dose, mode of administration, how supplied, and a large section contains warnings and contraindications, adverse reactions, and precautions.

Most of the prescribers do not read the patient information leaflets and do not discuss it with the users, whereas some patients do read it thoroughly. This may create worries and uncertainties resulting in reduced compliance to treatment. With easy access of patients to information on drugs that they use, mainly through the electronic media, it is very important that the text and contents of these patient leaflets are simple to understand and readable. Although information from official health agencies is superior to net-based sources, the patient information leaflets should be improved and become more user-friendly and less frightening.