Usefulness of package inserts: Do we really read them!

Introduction: Package inserts (PI) are the required informational leaflets which come along with drug package containing all the necessary and relevant information about the drug. It helps in providing appropriate guidance to doctors, paramedical staff and patients according to their needs. The study was planned to analyze the knowledge, attitude and practice behavior of all stakeholders and find out the deficit in current PI and targets of improvement in PI, for overall benefit of society. Materials and Method: A questionnaire based study was undertaken in 103 doctors, 108 paramedics (nurses and pharmacists) and 102 patients coming to the outpatient departments of the hospital. Results: Knowledge of package inserts and their importance is well known among doctors (88.35%) and paramedics (81.48%) in contrast to patients (39.22%). Doctors are the maximum users of the internet for seeking new information. Doctors (78.25%) followed by paramedics (50.93%) felt PI should be mandatory compared to patients (15.69%). Suggestions regarding improving contents of package inserts were language modifications i.e. including local language which was advocated by patients mostly, increased font size and pictorial representation where ever possible (administration instructions and storage). Other suggestions from paramedics were information about packaging and storage, regular updating of PI. Conclusions: Though mandatory, PI is largely ignored by both manufacturers and stakeholders. If utilized properly it can be an effective tool in educating everyone regarding dos - don’t and necessary information of the drugs thus aiding in avoiding adverse effects and promoting correct utilization of medicines. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Package inserts