How much should patients be told about their medication?

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Abstract
Much has been written on the education of patients about their medication, and yet what patients need to know has not been identified and agreed upon by professionals. This study sought to design a tool for this purpose using a series of interviews with experts to identify categories of information. Many core categories were identified and ambiguous sections such as ‘sideeffects’ were clarified. A test-re-test strategy was used to identify the reliability of the resulting questionnaire. A high level of inconsistencies and a low response rate were, in part, attributable to poor design and distribution of the questionnaire. Other contributory factors and the reluctance/inability of respondents to identify what they felt patients should know about their medication are discussed. Some deficits are identified, in addition to an agreement that current systems for educating patients are inadequate. Areas for future research are also identified.