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Cite
D K Raynor, Addressing medication literacy: a pharmacy practice priority, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Volume 17, Issue 5, October 2009, Pages 257–259, https://doi.org/10.1211/ijpp.17.05.0001
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Extract
Most medicines depend on a good understanding by the patient of how to take or use the medicine safely and effectively. Such actions relate strongly to people's health literacy, defined by Kickbusch and Maag[1] as ‘The ability to make sound health decisions in the context of everyday life – at home, in the community, at the workplace, the health care system, the market place and the political arena’. They go on to say that it is ‘a critical empowerment strategy to increase people's control over their health and ability to seek out information and their ability to take responsibility’. The landmark US Institute of Medicine report, Health Literacy: a Prescription to End Confusion,[2] reported that low health literacy negatively affects the treatment outcome and safety of care delivery. The people concerned are more likely to be admitted to hospital, and they may stay longer and be less likely to take their medicines and/or make errors with those medicines.[2]
