New University of Otago research suggests some patients are not receiving adequate information about their newly prescribed medicines.
But "win-win'' improvements could be made, University of Otago PhD student Amber Young, of the university's School of Pharmacy, commented.
National survey responses from 119 pharmacists and 150 GPs participating in the research had been analysed, and showed neither group of health professionals had verbally informed patients about new medicines all the time, Mrs Young said.
Significantly more GPs (75.3%) than pharmacists (43.7%) reported giving verbal information all the time.
``I'm happy with the fact that there's a positive step forward,'' through greater awareness of patient needs, through the survey, Mrs Young said.
She knew there was ``still room for improvement'' but providing tailored medicines information leaflets would mean better ``health education'' for patients.
Delivering information in a more helpful form would bring ``win-win'' benefits for health professionals and patients, she said.
A paper, based on her PhD research, has just been published in the Health Education Journal.
In an earlier review undertaken by Mrs Young and this latest research's co-authors, Drs June Tordoff and Alesha Smith, of the School of Pharmacy, and Sharon Leitch, of the Otago general practice and rural health department, had found that patients often wanted to know about their prescribed medicines.
``A medicines information leaflet, routinely handed out to all patients by both GPs and pharmacists, could ensure patients receive all the information they need to know,'' Mrs Young said.
Patients who were unwell could be unfamiliar with a medical condition with which they had just been diagnosed and could also find it hard to understand and retain information given to them verbally by their doctor or pharmacist.
If key points were highlighted verbally by health professionals, a medicines information leaflet or a related app could allow patients to absorb the information later, she said.
A better understanding of what the new medications would achieve could help patients take their drugs regularly, and reduce anxieties about unfamiliar medicines, she said.
