'too scary', say experts "Medicine information leaflets"

 'too scary', say experts "Medicine information leaflets"

It focuses too much on the possible side effects of medications in information brochures inside packages and not enough on their benefits, says the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Her new report needs to be rewritten to give a more balanced view.

An investigation by the academy found that the public was confused by information about drugs and did not trust scientific research.

Scientists said clear communication with patients is a priority.

Indolent anxious

The side effects enumerated in Patient Information Brochures (PID) are often very long and unpleasant, according to the report.

They make people anxious to take medication and could be the reason for that less than 50% continue with drugs that have begun to take.

The probability of side effects that occur rarely also explains - rather labeled "possible" or "severe".

And the benefits of medications are often underestimated, occupying much less space on the prospectus to potential damage.

Jargon overload

Sir John Tooke Professor, chairman of the report of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said that it is too "impenetrable" scientific language in prospectuses.

For example, the leaflet in a paracetamol box has side effects of taking tablets are the possibility of developing pancreatitis or hepatitis.

However, no information on what the conditions or how bad is the risk of actually getting them.

Instead of clearly explaining how the symptoms will be reduced, too many pamphlets describe what makes medicine in complex biological terms.

"Not written from the consumer's point of view," says Professor Tooke.

Patients should have confidence in the medications they are taking, rather than fidgeting.

If you do not understand the information provided, it is less likely to feel good about taking them.

For legal and regulatory reasons, there is a lot of information, but reporting issues if really there to help the public.

Silvia Kirk is a mother of two children from London who participated in public workshops for the report.

"I do not always read information brochures in drug packages, unless it's for my children - one of them has asthma," he says.

"Normally, my heart is everywhere as I read them, because I wonder if the risks outweigh the benefits.

"Some of the information does not make sense at all when you are wrong, you do not want to feel anxious as well - and I think is particularly confusing for the elderly.

"I understand that everything has to be in the brochures, but there is too much in a space. I tend to go for what the GP said and wrote in the recipe.

"Check only the side effects on the yellow card site [suspicions of adverse effects to authorized drugs], which I find useful.

"A link to more detailed online information about individual medications would be helpful to me. "

medicine information leaflets,

Tips on what to ask your doctor

Is this medicine for me? How can I improve my health?

What are the potential benefits and risks? Are they relevant to me?

How should I use this medicine? Will this affect my daily life?

How should I take it? Can I take with other medicines?

a line

The report also calls for:

More effective use of appointments with the doctor, who may need to be more, especially for patients with multiple conditions

A "go to" source of online trust information about medicines for patients and healthcare professionals

The survey of 2000 British adults and 1,000 doctors found that a third of the public trust of medical research data, while two-thirds relied on the experience of family and friends when it came to taking Of drugs.

Doctors said they also needed better information to help them judge the pros and cons of medications for patients.

What do scientists think?

In general, they welcomed the idea of ​​making information more clear about medicines - for patients and doctors.

But they recognized that a certain degree of uncertainty was inevitable in medicine, because scientific research has always been in full evolution.

Dr. Louise Brown, Senior Statistics Unit MRC Clinical Trials at College College London, said there are other challenges to be faced in the form of Internet and social networks.

"We are all bombarded with an unceasing flow of new information is overwhelming and very difficult to deal with.

"Not surprisingly, this leads to a feeling of skepticism and mistrust," he said.

Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said that providing accurate and accessible information on new treatments is vital.

"Only by working closely with patients, clearly and honestly explaining scientific evidence, we can fully understand the enormous potential offered by medical science in the 21st century."