During my years of practice, I have encoun – tered patients who are not always familiar with the names or prescribed indications for their medications. It is also not uncommon for patients to overlook mentioning non-prescrip – tion products, such as nutritional supplements or alternative medications, to their primary health – care provider because they perceive them to be insignificant. A lack of knowledge about the im – portance of providing and maintaining a com – prehensive and updated list of all medications can augment the risk of contraindications, drug/ drug interactions, or adverse effects, which could significantly impact their health depending on the patient’s medical and medication history. A lack of patient understanding about proper med – ication use, including dosage and administra – tion, can also adversely affect clinical outcomes.
Clinicians often must deal with time constraints due to factors like heavy workloads and staff shortages, which can impact the time dedicated to patient counseling. Other factors contributing to the lack of patient awareness about their med – ications include the complexity of disease(s) and treatment plans, especially those involving mul – tiple medications, language barriers, and limited health literacy. It is critical for clinicians to devise and employ various patient-centered education resources to identify and address these factors.
A poll conducted in 2020 involving 1,000 Amer – icans who were taking prescription medications revealed the following:
❯ 70% of respondents were unaware whether a brand-name or generic medication would be dispensed when filling the prescription.
❯ 41% reported having unanswered questions about the prescription, with primary concerns being medication safety (53%), potential ADRs (61%), and cost (54%).
❯ 76% were not familiar with other available treatment options.
❯ 72% conducted their own research about prescriptions.
A recent publication in Cureus revealed that shared decision-making measures and a person – alized approach to patient education, includ – ing written handouts, verbal instructions, and patient education by healthcare providers, can improve patient care, adherence, patient satisfac – tion, and understanding of illnesses and thera – pies. Another study in the Journal of Patient Ex – perience reported that engaging patients in their care can positively affect self-care and adherence.
Empowering patients with ongoing education about their disease(s) and medication(s) is a valu – able tool that can significantly enhance patient outcomes by improving adherence, promoting the safe and proper use of medications, and pre – venting or minimizing adverse effects. A proac – tive approach to healthcare is indispensable.