U.S. Pharmacopeia, with the help of a group of independent experts, is aiming to make the labels on drugs more standardized and easier to understand for patients, according to an LA Times news report.
The nonprofit organization's recommendations emerged earlier this year in light of studies showing lack of patient adherence to medication regimens due to confusion over label instructions. One study showed 87 percent of survey respondents believed prescriptions were important to maintaining their health, but only half of those respondents took their medications as directed, according to the news report.
Among USP's recommendations for medication labeling, the organization suggests putting patient information and instructions at the top of the label in bigger font; using easy-to-understand language such as "high blood pressure" instead of "hypertension"; and printing warnings in simple and straightforward messages, according to the news report.
Read the news report about U.S. Pharmacopeia's recommendations for medication labeling.
Read other coverage about medication errors and safety:
- Ensure Safe Medication Practices in a Surgery Center: Practical Solutions and Rules Overview
- Healthcare Costs Soar for ED Patients Admitted for Adverse Drug Events
- Patient Safety Tool: Guide to Increasing Reporting of Potential Medical Errors
The nonprofit organization's recommendations emerged earlier this year in light of studies showing lack of patient adherence to medication regimens due to confusion over label instructions. One study showed 87 percent of survey respondents believed prescriptions were important to maintaining their health, but only half of those respondents took their medications as directed, according to the news report.
Among USP's recommendations for medication labeling, the organization suggests putting patient information and instructions at the top of the label in bigger font; using easy-to-understand language such as "high blood pressure" instead of "hypertension"; and printing warnings in simple and straightforward messages, according to the news report.
Read the news report about U.S. Pharmacopeia's recommendations for medication labeling.
Read other coverage about medication errors and safety:
- Ensure Safe Medication Practices in a Surgery Center: Practical Solutions and Rules Overview
- Healthcare Costs Soar for ED Patients Admitted for Adverse Drug Events
- Patient Safety Tool: Guide to Increasing Reporting of Potential Medical Errors