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Abstract

Patient information materials from nine drug information sources were evaluated for readability. The following sources were assessed: American Association of Retired Persons Medication Information Leaflets for Seniors; American Medical Association Patient Medication Instructions; American Society of Hospital Pharmacists Medication Teaching Manual: A Guide for Patient Counseling and The New Consumer Drug Digest; Canadian Pharmaceutical Association's Supplementary Information on Medication; Dorothy Smith's Medication Guide for Patient Counseling; NARD Patient Information Leaflets; United States Pharmacopeia Convention Patient Drug Education Leaflets; and United States Pharmacopeia Drug Information, Volume II: Advice for the Patient 1986. The 10 most commonly prescribed drugs in 1986 were chosen for evaluation.The SMOG readability formula was used to compare these sources. This formula evaluates readability based on average sentence length and average word length. The SMOG formula determines the reading grade level that a person must have reached to fully comprehend written material. The reading grade level for the U.S. adult population varies from study to study, ranging from less than fourth-grade level to ninth-grade level.Our results indicate a mean grade level ranging from 9.6 for the AARP material to 12.9 for NARD. Readability grade level for information on individual drugs ranged from 9 to 14. These levels exceed the reported reading grade level of the adult population by several years, thus many may not understand these drug information materials. This study reinforces the need for patient education leaflets to be written at a level appropriate for the majority of the population.