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  • Title: Drug information for patients in the community.
    Author: Chavunduka D, Dzimwasha M, Madondo F, Mafana E, Mbewe A, Nyazema NZ.
    Journal: World Health Forum; 1991; 12(1):29-33. PubMed ID: 1859594.
    Abstract:
    The failure of patients to follow drug regimens may be due to lack of information or the negative attitudes of patients and health care providers. We have found that most patients in rural areas did not ask for information about their treatment because they felt their health carers had little time for such matters. These problems will continue unless practitioners at all levels make better efforts to understand their patients' perceptions of illness and treatment, and especially whether compliance with drug treatment is feasible. The failure of up to half of all patients in developing countries to adhere to recommended drug regimens may reflect inadequate physician- provider communication rather than resistance to treatment. There is substantial evidence that patients are more likely to conform to treatment regimens when they are fully informed about their medical condition and the medication prescribed. To investigate the extent to which patients in Zimbabwe received this type of information, household heads in 910 households in the Mashonaland West Province were interviewed. The sample included equal numbers of respondents from urban, rural, and commercial farming areas. Diseases most commonly reported by rural residents and farmers were diarrhea, influenza, cough, hypertension, and malaria. Most of the illnesses were attributed to natural or supernatural causes, and 80% of respondents in these subsamples claimed to distrust their health care provider and never asked questions about medications prescribed. The rural residents perceived health care personnel as too busy to answer questions and did not believe they would understand any information offered. On the other hand, these respondents indicated they would like to have information on the cause of their illness, its duration and treatment, the best way to take prescribed drugs, actions to take when drugs produce side effects, and storage of medication. Physicians who treat semi-literate rural residents with indigenous health beliefs are urged to provide information about medication tailored to match the individual perceptions and needs of the patient. This need is less urgent in urban areas, where 60% of respondents had general knowledge about the action of various medicines and were able to obtain information from pharmacists.
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