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A lack of patient understanding about proper medication use, including dosage and administration, can adversely affect clinical outcomes.

During my years of practice, I have encountered some patients who, for various reasons, are not always familiar with the names or prescribed indications for their medications. It is also not uncommon for patients to overlook mentioning non-prescription products, such as nutritional supplements or alternative medications, to their primary healthcare provider because they perceive them to be insignificant or forget to mention them during office visits. A lack of knowledge about the importance of providing and maintaining a comprehensive 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 medication use, including dosage and administration, can also adversely affect clinical outcomes. These issues emphasize the significance of patient education initiatives, shared decision-making, and collaboration between provider and patient to enhance healthcare outcomes.

Ensuring Patients Are Informed

In discussions with fellow healthcare providers, many have revealed comparable experiences with patients and try to employ various resources to expand patient education initiatives about health and medication.

For instance, a pharmacist in a retail setting stated, “I have encountered patients, particularly those on multiple medications, who can’t recall the exact names of their medications but can describe their color or shape. I’ve also met patients unaware of the prescribed indications, which compounds the issue. In some cases, patients refrain from asking the prescriber or the pharmacist questions for various reasons, don’t read the provided written medication information, and often turn to online sources, which aren’t always reliable. This underscores the importance of providing patients with verbal and written educational information and ensuring that patients understand the information by using techniques such as the teach-back method.”

Healthcare providers, including prescribers and pharmacists, often must deal with time constraints due to various factors, such as heavy workloads and staff shortages, which can impact the time dedicated to patient counseling. Other factors contributing to the lack of patient awareness or limited awareness about their conditions and medications include the complexity of disease(s) and treatment plans, especially those involving multiple medications, language barriers, and limited health literacy. It is critical for HCPs to devise and employ various patient-centered education resources to identify and address these factors.

The Patient Experience

A poll conducted in 2020 involving 1,000 Americans who were taking prescription medications revealed the following:

• According to survey results, 70% of respondents were unaware whether a brand-name or generic medication would be dispensed when filling the prescription.
• 41% of patients reported having unanswered questions about the prescription, with primary concerns reported as medication safety (53%), potential ADRs (61%), and cost (54%).
• 76% of respondents were not familiar with other available treatment options.
• 72% conducted their research about prescriptions.

A recent publication in Cureus revealed that employing shared decision-making measures and implementing a personalized approach to patient education, including written handouts, verbal instructions, and patient education by healthcare providers, can improve patient care, adherence, patient satisfaction, and understanding of illnesses and therapies. Another study in the Journal of Patient Experience reported that engaging patients in their care can positively affect self-care and adherence.

Patient education and shared decision-making are integral components of patient care. When patients take an active role in their healthcare and work collaboratively with their healthcare providers, they can learn more about their illnesses and possible treatments and make informed decisions about their health. By engaging patients in conversation, HCPs can assess patients’ knowledge about their disease, therapy goals, and treatment expectations and make clinical recommendations and therapy adjustments when warranted that are tailored to patient needs.

Empowering patients with ongoing education about their disease(s) and medication(s) is a valuable tool that can significantly enhance patient outcomes by improving adherence, promoting the safe and proper use of medications, and preventing or minimizing adverse effects. A proactive approach to healthcare is indispensable.