Plain English on Prescription Labels Doesn't Cut It

What is it about twice daily that you don't understand?

Many Americans, including those with college degrees, have trouble interpreting the instructions on prescription drug labels. . . according to the study report in Annals of Internal Medicine. . . 9 percent of all those interviewed had trouble with the instruction, "take one tablet by mouth once each day." The problem is most common with the "two tablets twice daily," noted researcher Michael S. Wolf, assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. That is often misinterpreted to mean "two tablets a day," he said. But the number of misinterpretations rises with the amount of numbers included in the instructions, Wolf said. So, "take one teaspoon twice a day for seven days" is especially confusing, for example, he noted. >Full Story: YahooNews

I don't know what kind of math and reading comprehension skills are being taught in college these days, but understanding prescription label directions is clearly a problem and we need to spend more time verbally making sure patients understand. . .and don't assume they do.