Drug packages need to be adapted for the elderly
Older patients are inattentive to the warning labels on the packages of drugs
Weekly Pharmacy www.apteka.ua
Many older patients do not carefully read the warning labels on the packaging of medicines that are critical for their safe and effective use. Such conclusions allow us to draw the results of a study by a group of scientists from the University of Kansas and the University of Michigan (Kansas State University, Michigan State University) led by Laura Bix.
The study participants were offered a hypothetical scenario according to which they had just purchased a drug at a pharmacy and were studying the information given on its packaging. Scientists using a special device tracked the movement of the eyes of the subjects and measured the attention they paid to one or another part of the package.
It turned out that more than 50% of the study participants over the age of 50 (average age 62) did not notice the warning labels on the packaging. At the same time, 22% of people in this age category did not notice warning labels on any of the 5 proposed packages of drugs. 90% of the subjects aged 20-29 years (average age 23 years) paid attention to all the warning labels.
The purpose of this study is to draw attention to the problem of packaging of medicines. This is especially relevant in light of the fact that the US government has recently begun developing rules to standardize the format and content of labels on drug packages in order to reduce the number of undesirable consequences of taking medicines that are associated with patient errors. In the United States, about 15 million cases of misuse of medicines are registered annually. The largest number of them occurs during outpatient treatment due to inattention of patients.
According to the researchers, the data obtained will help to develop more effective standards for the design of drug packaging, allowing patients to draw attention to critical information.
Based on PLOS ONE: Sundar et al., Quantifying Age-Related Differences in Information Processing Behaviors When Viewing Prescription Drug Labels.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.07.2012