Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A pill for every ill?

C L Lam1, M G Catarivas, I J Lauder

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.

Family Practice
|June 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chinese patients do not always expect medication for every illness. However, doctors frequently prescribe multiple drugs, potentially creating high patient expectations for prescriptions.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Associations Between Childhood Trauma and Social Cognition in Early Psychosis.

Early intervention in psychiatry·2025
Same author

Hospital healthcare utilisation among older adults admitted to a university hospital in the last months of life: A retrospective observational study.

The Medical journal of Malaysia·2022
Same author

Clinical outcome of generalized myasthenia gravis in Hong Kong Chinese.

Journal of neuroimmunology·2015
Same author

The use of food wastes as feed ingredients for culturing grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) in Hong Kong.

Environmental science and pollution research international·2015
Same author

Upgrading food wastes by means of bromelain and papain to enhance growth and immunity of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Environmental science and pollution research international·2015
Same author

Effects of the modified Huanglian Jiedu decoction on the disease resistance in grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) to Lactococcus garvieae.

Marine pollution bulletin·2014
Same journal

The Amapola Test: description of a novel screening tool for visual alterations in primary care.

Family practice·2026
Same journal

Deferred prescribing in practice: an observational study in community pharmacies in France during 2024-5 and feedback from pharmacists.

Family practice·2026
Same journal

Assessing the risk of drug-induced corrected QT interval prolongation in primary care.

Family practice·2026
Same journal

Universal-offer HIV testing amongst patients undergoing blood tests in primary care: results from a multi-centre study.

Family practice·2026
Same journal

Sustainable healthcare knowledge, experience and curricular perspectives: a cross-sectional survey within the European Young Family Doctors Movement network.

Family practice·2026
Same journal

General practice care models and satisfaction in Australian residential aged care homes: a national survey of GPs, practice nurses, and managers.

Family practice·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Health Services Research
  • Cross-cultural Medicine
  • Pharmaceutical Policy

Background:

  • A common perception suggests Chinese patients expect a
  • pill for every ill.
  • This belief lacks empirical validation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the actual medication expectations of Chinese individuals during illness.
  • To compare patient expectations with physician prescribing practices.

Main Methods:

  • A telephone survey using a structured questionnaire was conducted.
  • A random sample of 1068 Chinese residents in Hong Kong participated.

Main Results:

  • Only 40% believed all illnesses require drug treatment, but 76% expected a prescription.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Physicians prescribed in nearly all consultations, often with multiple medications.
  • Lower medication adherence was linked to perceptions of receiving too many drugs.

    • Conclusions:

    • Chinese patients do not universally expect a
    • pill for every ill.
    • Physician prescribing habits may foster high expectations for prescriptions.
    • Enhanced patient-doctor communication regarding medication needs is recommended.