Handwritten Prescriptions Pose Barrier to Patient Understanding, Indian Study Finds

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A recent study from eastern India reveals that over 36% of patients have poor understanding of prescription medication instructions, risking adherence and safety.
The study, published in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology (March–April 2025), which is published by Wolters Kluwer – Medknow for the Indian Pharmacological Society, was conducted at a tertiary care public hospital in Kolkata over a three-month period (February–April 2023). Researchers assessed 380 patients or caregivers attending outpatient departments (cardiology, medicine, pediatrics, and ENT), aiming to evaluate how well they comprehended handwritten prescription details.
Key Findings:
- Dosage Understanding: 59.2% of respondents had good or excellent understanding of the dosage prescribed (95% CI: 54.2–64.04).
- Drug Frequency: Only 40% demonstrated a good grasp of frequency instructions (95% CI: 35.2–45), a concerning gap given the risks of under- or overdosing.
- Drug Duration: 59.8% understood the duration of therapy well (95% CI: 54.66–64.7).
- Overall Comprehension: 36.8% of patients had poor composite understanding of their prescriptions (95% CI: 32.14–41.8), while only 20% achieved “excellent” comprehension scores.
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