Medicine Information Received by Consumers

Since 1982, FDA has conducted eight national telephone surveys to determine the percentage of consumers who receive oral and written information about their prescription medicine from their doctor’s office or pharmacy.  The surveys included about 1,000 U.S. consumers who had received a new prescription for themselves or a family member at a retail pharmacy during the previous month.  Consumers were asked whether they had been given information in either oral or written form in each of these two health care settings.  If they had, they were asked about the type of information – the medicine’s use, how much to take, how often to take it, whether it could be refilled, any precautions to take, and possible side effects.

• National Surveys of Prescription Medicine, Information Received by Consumers [Excel]
• Oral Information Results Chart, 1992-2004
• Consumers Who Asked for Information Chart, 1992-2004
• Written Information Results Chart, 1992-2004
• 2004 National Telephone Survey Questionnaire

Oral Communication

The percent of consumers given information orally about prescription medicines at the doctor’s office has increased since 1992, although slowly.  In contrast, the percent of consumers given information orally at the pharmacy has been decreasing since 1998.  In both settings, a higher percentage of consumers received information about directions for use (how much medicine to take and how often to take it) than risk-related information (precautions to take or possible side effects).  In 2004, 26% of consumers were told about directions for use and risk information at the doctor’s office, while only 6% were told both directions and risk information at the pharmacy.

Written Communication

In 2004, 21% of consumers said they received some form of written information at the doctor’s office, and 77% said they received some form of written information at the pharmacy.  These numbers have been increasing slowly since 1992.

The percent of consumers receiving written information at the pharmacy does not reflect the quality or usefulness of the information. For information about the quality and usefulness of written information provided in community pharmacies, see The Final Report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, “Evaluation of Written Prescription Information Provided in Community Pharmacies, 2001.”

The Future

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 Objectives for the Nation include specific objectives to increase the percentage of patients who receive both oral and written prescription medicine information: 

• Objective 17-4: Increase to 95% the proportion of patients receiving information that meets guidelines for usefulness when their new prescriptions are dispensed.
• Objective 17-5: Increase to 95% the proportion of patients who receive verbal counseling from prescribers and pharmacists on the appropriate use and potential risks of medications.

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Date created: December 1, 2006

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