Expert and consumer evaluation of patient medication leaflets provided in U.S. pharmacies.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the distribution and quality of patient medication leaflets provided in U.S. pharmacies.


METHODS
Observational.


METHODS
United States.


METHODS
384 randomly selected community pharmacies in 44 states.


METHODS
Professional shoppers (acting as patients) presented four new prescriptions to study pharmacies.


METHODS
Medication leaflets obtained by shoppers were evaluated by expert and consumer raters using criteria specified in federal law mandating distribution of useful written information to 95% of individuals receiving new prescriptions by 2006.


RESULTS
Leaflets were provided by pharmacies with 89% of 1,536 prescriptions presented by professional shoppers posing as patients. Leaflet quality varied: 95% of leaflets received high ratings on accuracy, but only 19% received high ratings on the specificity of directions. Fewer than 10% of all leaflets met quality criteria regarding contraindications, precautions, and how to avoid harm. One fourth of all leaflets had poor print size, according to the shoppers.


CONCLUSIONS
Additional efforts are needed to meet federally mandated information distribution and quality goals by 2006.
Svarstad
Bonnie L
BL
School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA. blsvarstad@pharmacy.wisc.edu
Mount
Jeanine K
JK
Tabak
Ellen R
ER
D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D010174:Pamphlets; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
D001262:Atenolol