Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Experimental Quantification of Interactions Between Drug Delivery Systems and Cells In Vitro: A Guide for Preclinical Nanomedicine Evaluation
Published on: September 28, 2022
Provision of medicines information in Australian community pharmacies
Agnes Vitry1, Andrew Gilbert, Kathy Mott
1Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, Sansom Institute, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. agnes.vitry@unisa.edu.au
Objective:
To assess the provision of consumer medicines information in Australian community pharmacies.
Method:
Two methods were employed. One was an exit survey involving consumers just leaving a community pharmacy (n = 554). A total of 42 pharmacies from 6 states were selected randomly. Another was a telephone survey conducted with people aged 15 and over (n = 2,005). The sample was stratified by region at the level of capital city, regional urban and rural with minimum quotas for each category.
Results:
In the exit survey, 13 (6.4%) of the 208 respondents collecting a script received written instructions such as the Consumer Medicines Information (CMI), including 7 (15%) receiving their prescription for the first time and 6 (4%) who came for a subsequent supply. In the phone survey, 876 (46%)of the 1,576 respondents who ever get prescriptions or OTC medicines declared they never or rarely receive written information on how to use a medicine apart from what is on the bottle or packaging.
Conclusion:
The strategy of CMI distribution via pharmacies in Australia has failed to reach acceptable levels. Further strategies have to be implemented by the professional and consumer organisations to ensure consumers receive appropriate essential medicine information.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
01:15Drug Dosage Regimen: Overview
Typically, the starting dose and dosing interval are guided by the manufacturer's recommendations based on clinical trials conducted during and after drug...
01:28Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics: Overview
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
01:28Dosage Regimens: Designs and Approaches
01:19Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...