Abstract
Many community pharmacies apply auxiliary labels to prescription bottles in an effort to notify patients of important facts and information associated with the medication(s) they are taking. These auxiliary labels vary in color and message. Unfortunately, despite these brightly colored labels many patients disregard them or do not take the time to read, understand, or inquire about their messages and importance. This has been and is becoming a serious prescription problem. Simply reading and adhering to various auxiliary labels can and will help to decrease medication errors. Increasing patient awareness of the information on the auxiliary label(s) can potentially decrease fatalities associated with taking the wrong medications. Studies have shown that the problem with the auxiliary labels is not only related to disregarding them, but is heavily related to patients having low health literacy, meaning they simply do not understand what the auxiliary label is portraying to them. As health care professionals, it is our duty to help patients read, understand, and adhere to these auxiliary labels. This increase in patient awareness could potentially help significantly reduce medication errors and medication misuse associated fatalities. Based on the research conducted, it was found that patients read their prescription labels for the first fill of a medication, but do not read the prescription label for a refill. Most patients do not recognize several warning labels that they were asked to review. Patients did understand the directions and caution labels on their prescription bottles and realized that prescription warning labels are important for their safety. When questions arise about prescription and nonprescription medications the majority of patients would consult their pharmacist. Overall, pharmacists play a key role in making sure that patients know pertinent information in order for them to take the medication correctly and safely.
Highlights
The under use of auxiliary labels is becoming a growing and troublesome epidemic linked to medication related problems
The data from this study found that the majority of patients read their prescription labels for the first fill of a medication, but do not read the prescription label when they pick up a refill (Figures 1-4)
It was found that the patients from this study do not follow directions and warnings on their prescription labels, they do recognize several warning labels that they were asked to review on the survey
Summary
The under use of auxiliary labels is becoming a growing and troublesome epidemic linked to medication related problems. In this study the use and underuse of the auxiliary labels will be assessed, as well as possible ways to rectify this problem. These problems will be addressed using a standardized voluntary questionnaire completed by patients in community pharmacy settings. The questionnaires were completed after the patient received his or her prescription(s) at different community pharmacy settings in at least ten different zip codes in the north Florida area. The inclusion criteria includes, patients 18 years and older, ability to give consent, ability to read and understand survey questions and the patient has to be picking up a prescription medication at a community pharmacy setting. All surveys will be completed anonymously and will not have any patient identifiers attached to the data
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