Hoe gebruiken patiënten geneesmiddelbijsluiters?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine to what extent patients read the patient package insert (ppi), what their reasons are for reading or not reading a ppi, how they experience the readability of ppi's and how they interpret the verbal descriptors for side effect frequencies. METHOD: A survey was held among the general public, visiting shopping moles, train stations or attending choirs. RESULTS: In total 160 persons participated in the study. 97% of them reported to use or ever have used medicines. 92% of them claimed to read the ppi's, but 49% reported to read only 'the most important parts' of the ppi's. Side-effects information is considered the most important part of the ppi. One-quarter of the readers said only to read the ppi after having started to use the medicine or if questions arise. 22% reported not to read the ppi of paracetamol (acetaminophen). Respondents reported not to read a ppi, for reasons of having read the ppi before (51%), trusting the doctor's decision (45%) or having received sufficient information from the doctor or the pharmacist (40%). Forty percent of the respondents stated they sometimes had difficulties in understanding the ppi. The respondents misunderstood the five frequency words that are used to describe drug side effects. Their risk perceptions were 3 to 300 times higher than meant by the regulatory authorities. CONCLUSIONS: Patients report to read the ppi, many of them actual mean to read only parts of the ppi or start reading only if they have questions or meet problems. Patients are interested mostly into the drug side effects paragraph, but they overestimate the risk of side effects, which might explain noncompliance with drug therapy.