title: Awareness about prescribed drugs among patients attending Out-patient departments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Communication skills play an important role in establishing doctor-patient relationship is widely recognized throughout the world. The information passed on to the patients affects the treatment outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was undertaken to evaluate the level of awareness among OPD patients about prescribed drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of two hundred sixty four patients having a valid prescription from a doctor practicing in allopathic system, visiting 4 different chemist shops in a North Indian city were enrolled in the study. All the enrolled patients were given a preformed questionnaire to be answered on the spot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that though a considerable number of patients were aware about the therapeutic effects of the drugs and the manner of administration of the medicines; they lacked information regarding the side effects, warnings and the information their doctor may require at the next consultation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study highlighted the fact that doctors need to spend more time with the patients to make them active participants in the drug therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, SGRD IMSAR, Amritsar, India.
authors.forename: Jaswinder
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Narinder
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rahat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.forename: Navpreet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Sheveta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dureja
keywords: Communication skill; doctor-patient relationship; patient compliance