In a recent entry, we pointed out that many patients who cannot read well often do not understand what they are supposed to do after they see their health care provider. This problem can be a barrier in your doing what you have been told to do to manage a chronic condition. The issue is very important when it comes to taking prescribed drugs as directed. A recent study looked at how poor reading can be a safety issue and may contribute to medication errors.

The research looked at the ability of patients to understand and follow instructions on the labels of common prescription drugs. It included 395 English-speaking adults who were waiting to see their providers in three primary clinics that mainly served poor populations. The investigation looked at understanding of instructions on five container labels and the demonstration of one label’s dosage instructions. Correct understanding of the five labels ranged from 67.1% to 91.1%. Patients reading at or below the sixth-grade level (low literacy) were less able to understand all five-label instructions. Although 70.7% of patients with low literacy understood the instructions, "Take two tablets by mouth twice daily," only 34.7% could demonstrate the number of pills to be taken daily. The authors concluded that lower literacy and a greater number of prescription drugs were associated with not understanding the instructions on prescription medication labels.

Poor reading skills can be a big problem in life. This is especially true if you have a chronic illness and take prescription drugs. If low reading skills are something you deal with, you must be certain you know what to do before you leave the office of your health provider. If you are not sure, have him or her go over instructions until you understand them. Even if you do understand what you have been told, if you have any questions about what to do, have someone show you how to do it. In turn, show the person that you can do what is being asked of you. It is better to do it in the doctor’s office before you are out on your own.

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Terry C. Davis and colleagues. Literacy and Misunderstanding Prescription Drug Labels Annals of Internal Medicine, 2006;145:887-894.