Appropriate use of oral drops: perception of health professionals and assessment of package insert information.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the perception of health professionals and industry personnel towards the appropriate use of oral drops and to assess their package inserts with regard to presence of proper instructions for use and storage.

METHODS

The first part was a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed randomly to physicians, pharmacists and decision makers in local pharmaceutical companies. In the second part, the package inserts of medications with oral drops were reviewed to check for presence of proper instructions for storage and proper use.

RESULTS

The majority of physicians and pharmacists (73.3% and 71.2%) thought that oral drops can be delivered from the dropper directly into the patient's mouth. 60.8% of physicians and 54.3% of pharmacists thought that the dropper should be clamped vertically when oral drop are dispensed. 72.7% of industry personnel agreed that the angle of inclination affects the drop size. Many of these personnel said their companies did not perform the recommended tests for dose uniformity and calibration. Instructions for storage and proper use were not available in package inserts of many oral drop products in Palestine.

CONCLUSIONS

Health professionals should have complete and correct information regarding all factors that affect the proper delivery of oral drops and should counsel patients on the proper method of delivery. Pharmaceutical companies should take into consideration the formulation issues that may affect drop size and provide leaflets and labels with complete and correct instructions on the proper use and storage of oral drops. Package insert information in oral drops needs to be more comprehensive with regard to instructions for use and storage.