“A Disconnect in the Process and Understanding of Prescription Medications”
Download PDF About the AuthorMatthew White is currently an undergraduate in the Biochemistry Department at Saint Mary’s College of California. He is an aspiring physician with interests in both clinical medicine and biomedical research. Contents |
ConclusionWhile general information about a prescribed medication is given to the patient via the physician and/or pharmaceutical literature, due to a common lack of communication and understanding regarding one’s prescribed medication, findings show that physicians and pharmaceutical literature must improve in terms of providing the patient with a more complete understanding of the medications they are prescribed. In the US alone, an estimated 54 million people over the age of 12 have misused prescription medications at some point in their lifetime (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Nevertheless, with a more holistic understanding of a medication’s risks and effects these current issues surrounding high rates of prescription drug misuse may be better combated. Although specific inferences and assumptions can be made from the data collected through the research, it is difficult to justify more broad and general inferences, resulting from the data, due to some of the limitations of the research. That being said, the predominant limitation of this research was the sample size. For example, the survey participants responded to a biographical question regarding their ethnicity prior to answering questions concerning their experience communicating with their physician about prescription medications. With a larger sample size, differences and correlations between the way different ethnic groups communicate with their physicians may have been identified, but with the smaller sample size associated with this study it is unjustifiable to make these inferences. Furthermore, limitations in sample size also result in difficulties with opposing prior research through data collected in the study. For instance, prior research has found that many patients express a sense of dislike for taking medicine or medication in general, but the data found in this research suggests otherwise (Britten et al. 1496). From the data collected in the research, the vast majority responded positively regarding their opinion of prescription medication, while only a few expressed a similar opinion found in the prior research. With the sample size being entirely represented by college students ranging in age from 18-22, it may be inferred that the younger generation views prescription medications in a different light than those of past generations. However, because the sample size is so concentrated, it becomes difficult to justify this assumption without expanding the research. In regard to further research expanding on the topics addressed in this study, there is a multitude of information that can be discussed and focused on. One area of particular interest is further analyzing the risks and effects section of medication guides to determine how these pharmaceutical companies decide to address them in the text. Further research into this topic may be able to identify if the risks and effects listed in these guides are addressed because they were consistently evident in the clinical trials of the medication or because they are intended to eliminate any liability the pharmaceutical company may incur if a patient experiences an unforeseen risk or side effect. Another topic for further research may be trying to identify ways in which the information a patient receives on a medication can be more standardized, rather than each patient receiving varying amounts of information and thus resulting in differing levels of understanding, which was evident in this research. Standardizing the way in which doctors and pharmaceutical texts convey information to patients may lead to individuals having a more complete understanding of their prescribed medication. |