How do I keep myself safe? Patient perspectives on including reason for use information on prescriptions and medication labels: a qualitative thematic analysis

Abstract

Background Medications are crucial for maintaining patient wellness and improving health in modern medicine, but their use comes with risks. Helping patients to understand why they are taking medications is important for patient-centered care and facilitates patient adherence to prescribed medications. One strategy involves enhancing communication between patients, physicians, and pharmacists through the sharing of reason for use (RFU) information or the indication for medications. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients in Ontario, Canada, to gain perspectives on how patients currently store their medication information and benefits and disadvantages of adding RFU to prescriptions and medication labels. An interview guide was used by the two interviewers, and the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded. Results The analysis yielded three main themes: patient decision making with RFU, RFU in modern, patient-centered care, and logistical aspects of communicating RFU. The patients that were interviewed expressed the value of having RFU when deciding if a medication was effective or to stop taking the medication. Patients felt comfortable with RFU being added to prescriptions and acknowledged the value in adding RFU to medication labels, helping patients and others identify and distinguish medications. Patients generally expressed interest in having RFU written in lay language and identified strengths and weaknesses of having access to RFU via a website or app. Conclusions Patients rated the importance of knowing RFU very highly, identified the value in sharing RFU with pharmacists on prescriptions, and in having RFU on medication labels. These results can be used to inform policy on the addition of RFU on prescriptions and medication labels and support improved communication between patients, pharmacists, and physicians about RFU.

Prescribers’ perspectives on including reason for use information on prescriptions and medication labels: a qualitative thematic analysis

“…The World Health Organization report Medication Without Harm (2017) referred to patients as often being "made to be passive recipients of medicines and not informed and empowered to play their part in making the process of medication safer." [32] Prescribers 4 and 11 had a similar understanding of the utility of RFU to support patients understanding their medications, which is in line with previously identified patient preference [33,34]. RFU can be a valuable tool for patient education, as mentioned by some of the prescribers interviewed, giving patients "something concrete" to take home after a health care appointment, [Prescriber 11, female] with the goal to make then "more informed users" [Prescriber 4, female].…”

Incorporating ‘reason for use’ into the prescribing process of medication: a survey on the opinion of patients in Flanders, Belgium

“…The current research on including 'the reason for use' was recently and comprehensively reviewed by Mercer et al [16] using that specific phrasing and therefore, in this manuscript, the term 'reason for use' is utilized unless a direct reference to another study is made. Some data is available about the opinions of physicians and pharmacists regarding this possible extra aspect of the prescription [17][18][19]. Pharmacists are undoubtedly the long-time leading enthusiasts as they perceive this extra information a prerequisite for providing better pharmaceutical care.…”