title: State hospital patients and their medication--do they know what they take?
abstract: The author surveyed the population of a state hospital (N = 281) to ascertain the level of knowledge patients had about their medication. Approximately 8% of the patients correctly indicated the name of at least one medication they were taking, its dosage schedule, and its intended effect; approximately 54% of the patients evidenced no understanding of the medication they were regularly taking. Significant differences in understanding of medication were found as a function of diagnosis, age, and length of stay. The finding that few patients were knowledgeable about their medication raises doubts about recent court rulings on patients' competency to refuse medication.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006783:Hospitals, State; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs