Physicians’ Instructions to Patients Regarding Medications in a Saudi University Hospital

Objectives: To estimate the proportion of patients who received instructions regarding their medications’ functions, methods of administration, dosages, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, as well as to identify the sources of knowledge concerning medications’ instructions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) in the out-patient pharmacy in 2013. The data collection method includes personal interview with patients who are randomly selected from adults above 18 years of age. The interview was conducted among patients and any person who attends the consultation. Results: The sample was 274 patients. Patients who received instructions for drugs’ functions 208 (75.9%), method of administration 229 (83.6%), doses of drugs 220 (80.3%), drugs’ adverse effects 47 (17.1%), and drug-drug interactions 41 (15%). Sources of medications’ instructions were physicians (73.6%), pharmacists (42.3%), patient information leaflets (PILs) (40.5%) and family or friends (12.8%). Conclusion: The provided instructions about prescribed medications to patients in KKUH were incomplete that may lead to therapeutic failure.