How do I keep myself safe? Patient perspectives on including reason for use information on prescriptions and medication labels: a qualitative thematic analysis

Colin Whaley,Ashley Bancsi,Joanne Man-Wai Ho,Kelly Grindrod,Catherine M Burns

doi:10.1186/s40545-020-00268-6

Colin Whaley, Ashley Bancsi + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-020-00268-6

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Abstract

BackgroundMedications are crucial for maintaining patient wellness and improving health in modern medicine, but their use comes with risks. Helping patients to understand why they are taking medications is important for patient-centered care and facilitates patient adherence to prescribed medications. One strategy involves enhancing communication between patients, physicians, and pharmacists through the sharing of reason for use (RFU) information or the indication for medications.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients in Ontario, Canada, to gain perspectives on how patients currently store their medication information and benefits and disadvantages of adding RFU to prescriptions and medication labels. An interview guide was used by the two interviewers, and the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded.ResultsThe analysis yielded three main themes: patient decision making with RFU, RFU in modern, patient-centered care, and logistical aspects of communicating RFU. The patients that were interviewed expressed the value of having RFU when deciding if a medication was effective or to stop taking the medication. Patients felt comfortable with RFU being added to prescriptions and acknowledged the value in adding RFU to medication labels, helping patients and others identify and distinguish medications. Patients generally expressed interest in having RFU written in lay language and identified strengths and weaknesses of having access to RFU via a website or app.ConclusionsPatients rated the importance of knowing RFU very highly, identified the value in sharing RFU with pharmacists on prescriptions, and in having RFU on medication labels. These results can be used to inform policy on the addition of RFU on prescriptions and medication labels and support improved communication between patients, pharmacists, and physicians about RFU.

Highlights

Medications are fundamental for the maintenance of good health and the treatment of disease in modern medicine
One potential strategy is the addition of medication indications, known as the reason for use (RFU), onto prescriptions, and medication labels
Patients generally acknowledged the value of providing pharmacists with RFU and having RFU on prescription labels, while acknowledging that including RFU on a prescription label may pose a privacy risk

Summary

Introduction

Medications are fundamental for the maintenance of good health and the treatment of disease in modern medicine. With adverse drug events causing more than 27,000 hospitalizations in Canada between 2010 and 2011, the safe prescribing and use of medications, as well as improving clinician-clinician and clinician-patient communication around medications, represent key areas for health systems to facilitate safe medication use [2]. One potential strategy is the addition of medication indications, known as the reason for use (RFU), onto prescriptions, and medication labels. Adding RFU to medication labels would allow patients to always have RFU along with their medications and could improve adherence to prescribed medication treatments [6]. Medications are crucial for maintaining patient wellness and improving health in modern medicine, but their use comes with risks. One strategy involves enhancing communication between patients, physicians, and pharmacists through the sharing of reason for use (RFU) information or the indication for medications

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