Variability in Pharmacy Interpretations of Physician Prescriptions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9099525 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael S Wolf (0000-0002-4342-6517, Northwestern Medicine, corresponding author), Paul Shekelle (VA West Los Angeles Medical Center), Niteesh K Choudhry (0000-0001-7719-2248, Harvard University Press), Jessica Agnew-Blais (0000-0002-0755-6867, Harvard University Press), Ruth M Parker (0000-0001-9685-6396, Emory University), William H Shrank (Harvard University Press) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 370-373 |
| Publication date | 2009-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medical Care (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948 |
| Publisher | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1097/mlr.0b013e31818af91a |
| PMID | 19194338 |
| PMCID | PMC2680452 |
| OpenAlex | W2128460997 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 11 |
BACKGROUND: The clarity of prescription drug instructions is a health literacy and medication safety concern. OBJECTIVE: To assess the variability of pharmacy interpretations of physician prescriptions. DESIGN: Identically written prescriptions for 4 common medications (atorvastatin, alendronate, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ibuprofen) were filled in 6 pharmacies (2 largest chains, 2 grocery stores, 2 independents) in 4 cities (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin). MEASUREMENT: Components of the instruction were coded as dose, frequency, administration route, timing, indication, and auxiliary instructions. RESULTS: In all, 85 labels were evaluated. Dose frequency was omitted on 6% of instructions ("take 1 tablet for cholesterol"). Timing was explicitly stated on 2% of instructions ("in the morning"). All prescriptions included indications; pharmacies transcribed these onto 38% of labels. The prescription for alendronate stated not to lie down for at least 30 minutes after taking; this was transcribed with 50% of instructions. Reading difficulty was above recommended levels for 46% of instructions; with 14% greater than a high school level. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts are needed to ensure patients receive clear, consistent information supporting safe medication use
Family medicine · Medical prescription · MEDLINE · Political science · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Nursing · Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes · Pharmacy · Safety Warnings and Signage
Development of the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (Pemat)
Developing and user testing new pharmacy label formats—A study to inform labelling standards
Prescription Standards are Necessary to Improve Health Literacy and Medication Safety
An Evaluation of the Relationship Between the Implementation of a Newly Designed Prescription Drug Label at Target Pharmacies and Health Outcomes
What Did the Doctor Say? Health Literacy and Recall of Medical Instructions
Effect of Standardized, Patient-Centered Label Instructions to Improve Comprehension of Prescription Drug Use
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,35 |
| Citation span | 2009 - 2021 (13) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |