In this paper we describe research which attempts to understand influences on patients' behaviour relating to use of the new mandatory medicine information leaflets, supplied as package inserts. We examine whether patient age or gender influences their use of the leaflet. We also report a summary of patients' comments about the leaflets, and report which section(s) of the leaflet patients read.

In Spring 1999, as part of a wider study, we recruited 216 patients collecting their own medicines from 3 community pharmacies and phoned them 4-7 days later to ask questions about their use of the medicine information leaflet. Patients were aged 19-85 (median 59) and 63% were female. When patients received more than 1 medicine, we selected randomly and analysed their use of the leaflet with 1 medicine. Patient age was transformed into 3 categories (<40, 40-64, 65+), with 26%, 30% and 44% patients, respectively, in each group. Data were analysed by logistic regression.

In terms of age, when compared with patients in the oldest category, those in the youngest and middle categories were less likely to make use of the leaflet. However, only 1 of 8 comparisons was statistically significant: the youngest patients were less likely to read all the leaflet than the oldest group [OR = .27 (95% CIs 0.02, 0.92), p = .036]. Men were less likely to notice, keep or read the leaflet, but, among patients who read the leaflet, men were more likely to read it all. None of the 4 comparisons of men and women was statistically significant. The 30 patients who reported reading part of the leaflet only were asked to recall, unprompted, which sections they had read. The sections most frequently recalled were: side effects (18 patients), instructions (11), medicine contents (5), contraindications (2).

The 64 patients who read at least part of the leaflet were asked to comment on its content. Forty-six patients (72%) were uncritical, while 17 patients (27%) made some critical comment - most commonly that it was "hard to understand". Although the comments were mostly uncritical, they were from patients who had read the leaflet, and they are unlikely to reflect the views of all.

This work forms part of the first study of medicine information leaflets, since their supply (as package inserts) became mandatory in January 1999 (1). In summary, the works shows that neither age nor gender had any consistent influence on patients' use of the medicine information leaflets. Receiving the medicine for the first time was far more influential (2). Those who read the leaflet were mostly uncritical of them. Patients who read only part of the leaflet tended to look for information on how to use the medicine and its possible side effects.

References

1. Anon. Patient pack prescribing and the provision of patient information leaflets. Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, 1995;33:86-88.
2. Knapp P, Raynor DK. A telephone survey of patients' use of medicine information leaflets. Pharm J1999; 263; R40