Communication · Volume 3, Issue 1 · pp. 12–16

Inattentiveness to Warnings and Precautions on Prescription Drug Labels among Malaysian Adult Patients: The Influence of Polypharmacy

Huan-Keat Chan¹, Siti Nadiah Abd Rahim², Mohd Shainol Azmar Kassim², Beng-Hoong Chew², Mohd Azri Mohd Suan¹

¹Clinical Research Centre, Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, 05460 Alor Setar, Kedah, MALAYSIA.
²Department of Pharmacy, Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, 05460 Alor Setar, Kedah, MALAYSIA.

Abstract

Background: Cautionary information on prescription drug labels is crucial to ensure safe administration. The current study examined patients’ attentiveness to warnings and precautions on drug labels in a Malaysian public hospital.Methods:Five labels of the most commonly prescribed medications in the hospital were shown to 208 adult patients. Using face-to-face interviews, participants were asked to interpret the information on the labels.Results: The majority (78.4%) of the participants did not attempt to interpret the warnings and precautions of at least one label. Inattentiveness to such information was also found to be associated with polypharmacy, which was defined as taking five or more prescription medications (adjusted odds ratio: 8.57; 95% confidence interval: 1.44, 50.96; p=0.02).Conclusion:This study confirms the lack of awareness of drug safety among the Malaysian population in general, highlighting the need for improving patient education and revising the labeling format.

Keywords: Drug labeling; Malaysia; Public hospitals; Polypharmacy; Prescription drugs

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