Do consumers truly understand how to take their medications and the possible side effects and interactions that can occur as a result? Though the vast majority of study respondents who have recently picked up a prescription drug say they understand how to take their medication (90%), only 60% are aware of the potential interactions with other prescribed medication, and only 58% are aware of interactions with OTC medication they are taking, according to the latest ‘Under the Skin’ survey by ORC Guideline, an infoGROUP company (NASDAQ: IUSA). The study also revealed that 20% of respondents said they have stopped taking a medication altogether because they felt they did not have enough information about it.
“These findings raise important questions about how Americans are getting their drug information and how well they understand it,” said Christine W. Dalzell, Ph.d, Senior Managing Director, ORC Guideline. “Experts cite that approximately 500,000 adverse events occur each year in this country because people misread the instructions on prescription drug labels. Such ‘comprehension confusion’ obviously has the potential to put consumers at great risk,” she said.