E-drug: Consumer reports on medicines (cont)
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I think consumers should demand better labeling of medicines,
especially prescribed medicines.
Consumers should demand that
* individualized information should be put on the medicine package by
the pharmacy/dispensing agency (especially patient name, individual
indication for use and individual dosage instructions)
* Primary Patient Information, PPI (information that is most
important for the therapeutical situation, and that should be read
and understood BEFORE the patient starts on the medicine package)
should be given priority in label design. PPI should easy to see and
understand, and not be scattered around on the different side of the
packages. In addition to the information elements mentioned above
the following elements from the manufacturer's label usually are PPI:
Product name, strength, and in some cases warnings and instructions
for use.
* Manufacturer's label for prescription medicine should be designed
so that there is space for a pharmacy label (individualized
information). In the countries where pharmacy labels are used today,
they often have to cover important information with the pharmacy
label. Who want to buy food where the expiry date and list of
ingredients are covered up and not visible. Nevertheless, this is a
usual situation for medicines in countries where patient packs and
pharmacy labels are used.
Stein Lyftingsmo
Hospital Pharmacy of Elverum
N-2418 Elverum, Norway
phone +47-6243 8950
sjappe@apotek.no
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