- Design
- Cross-sectional survey
- Population
- 169 outpatient prescribers at a US academic health centre
- Primary outcome
- Practices and barriers in providing non-English medication instructions
- Effect
- 61.5% unaware of best practice; 69.8% not confident instructions were accurate
This survey of outpatient prescribers at a US academic centre asked how they provide written medication instructions to patients who prefer a language other than English; 169 of 477 responded.
Most (61.5%) were unaware of best practice, 91.8% did not tell patients they could ask the pharmacy for a label in their language, and 69.8% were not confident their patients received accurate written instructions.
The setting is American, but the problem translates directly to Indian practice, where the prescription is often in English and the patient reads another language, or none. Instructions that are not understood are a common cause of dosing errors.
- Explain doses and timing aloud in the patient's language, and ask them to repeat it back.
- Write key instructions in the patient's language or use pictograms for patients who cannot read.
- Involve the family member who manages the medicines.
- Check understanding of high-risk drugs such as insulin, anticoagulants and methotrexate at every change.
Why it matters
A correct prescription that the patient cannot read is a medication error waiting to happen.
The statistics, in plain English
Only about a third of those invited responded, and responders may differ from those who did not, so the true figures could be better or worse.
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