Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 960, 61421, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Ir J Med Sci. 2024 Apr;193(2):777-782. doi: 10.1007/s11845-023-03515-2. Epub 2023 Sep 7.
Patient information leaflets (PILs) are documents that are standardized in nature and provide guidance for patients or caregivers on the safe and effective use of medicines. Previous evidence suggests that written information is linked to enhancing the amount of information remembered. Currently, patients have become more involved in digital searches for information. However, there is variability in the quality and reliability of information obtained from the web. According to Saudi Food and Drug Authority regulations, pharmaceutical manufacturers are required to supplement each pharmaceutical product entering the Saudi market with a digital leaflet in addition to a paper leaflet. This research aimed to evaluate patients' attitudes and practices towards PILs.
A cross-sectional study design using an anonymous online self-administered questionnaire was adopted. The study took place in Saudi Arabia between October and December 2022. A convenience sampling strategy was used to recruit the study participants. The questionnaire was adapted from previous research that investigated patient attitudes and practices towards PILs.
A total of 463 participants agreed to take part in the study and completed the questionnaire. Physicians were the top utilized source for getting medicine information (92.7%), followed by pharmacists (84.7%), PILs (67.4%), searching the Internet (53.6%), and consulting family and friends (31.7%). About 78% of the participants reported often or always reading PILs for new drugs (78.2%), but this percentage was lower (45.4%) for repeat prescriptions. A positive perception towards PILs was observed among the study participants. While 54.6% of the participants indicated a preference for having both paper and digital information leaflets, 33.3% reported a preference for paper leaflets, and 12% indicated a preference for digital formats.
Although patients had positive perceptions towards PILs, physicians were the top-consulted source for medicine information. Pharmacists should educate patients about the importance of referring to PILs which can also be accessed electronically in the case of a preference for a digital format, as the quality and reliability of the information obtained from the web cannot be confirmed.
患者信息传单（PIL）是一种标准化的文件，为患者或护理人员提供关于安全有效使用药物的指导。先前的证据表明，书面信息与增强记忆信息量有关。目前，患者越来越多地参与数字信息搜索。然而，从网络上获取的信息在质量和可靠性方面存在差异。根据沙特食品和药物管理局的规定，制药制造商必须为进入沙特市场的每种药品补充数字传单，除了纸质传单。这项研究旨在评估患者对 PIL 的态度和实践。
采用横断面研究设计，使用匿名在线自填式问卷。研究于 2022 年 10 月至 12 月在沙特阿拉伯进行。采用便利抽样策略招募研究参与者。问卷改编自之前调查患者对 PIL 态度和实践的研究。
共有 463 名参与者同意参与研究并完成了问卷。医生是获取药物信息的首选来源（92.7%），其次是药剂师（84.7%）、PIL（67.4%）、互联网搜索（53.6%）和咨询家人和朋友（31.7%）。约 78%的参与者表示经常或总是阅读 PIL 了解新药（78.2%），但对于重复处方，这一比例较低（45.4%）。研究参与者对 PIL 持积极看法。虽然 54.6%的参与者表示更喜欢同时拥有纸质和数字信息传单，但 33.3%的参与者表示更喜欢纸质传单，12%的参与者表示更喜欢数字格式。
尽管患者对 PIL 有积极的看法，但医生是获取药物信息的首选来源。药剂师应教育患者参考 PIL 的重要性，电子 PIL 也可以在偏好数字格式的情况下访问，因为无法确认从网络上获取的信息的质量和可靠性。
