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Pharmacy groups call for 'indication for use' labels on medications

 

25-Apr-2008: Have you ever forgotten what your prescription is for or been confused by all the medications in your cabinet?

Leading pharmacy groups are calling on the state boards of pharmacy to mandate the reason for each medication on the label. But will that violate your privacy?

With nearly a dozen different prescriptions to manage, Nancie Sturges admits it can get overwhelming.

"It's very difficult when you see a name to discern why you're taking that medicine or what you're taking it for," said Sturges, patient.

She also watches over her parents' medicines to make sure they are taking what they need to.

A new proposal by leading pharmacy groups might make her job easier. They want states to make it mandatory that "indication for use," the reason why you're taking a medication, be printed on all prescription labels.

"When they receive the medication from the pharmacist, the prescription label would say, 'Take this medication for high blood pressure,'" said Carmen Catizone, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

Experts say it could help because many drugs have similar names.

"If a patient receives a medication that they shouldn't receive because of a problem with a sound-a-like name or a look-a-like name, it could be very dangerous," said Catizone.

For instance, imagine if a patient ends up with the narcotic oxycodone instead of the bladder medication oxybutynin. These mistakes aren't common, but when they do happen, pharmacists say it's typically because a prescription is hard to read. But if a doctor includes the reason for the medication, it would be an added safeguard.

The American Medical Association agrees having the indication listed is a good thing, but they think it should be optional to protect patient confidentiality. But advocates say there are ways to do both.

"We're not looking for information that you would want to keep private," said Diane Cousins, United States Pharmacopeia. "We're looking for information that will clue you as a patient to why you're taking a medication."

For example, if you're taking a drug to treat depression, the label might read "mood." Even if the label requirement never goes through, you can ask your doctor now to include the indication on your current medications and they will probably do it.

"I would hope that the patients would say, 'Doctor, would you mind putting on there that this one is for my blood pressure and that one is for my heart medicine,'" said Dr. Edward Langton, American Medical Association.

Sturges likes that idea. She plans on speaking not only to her doctors, but her parents' too.

There are no guidelines for the wording for "indication of use" on label. It's up to each physician to decide what the labels will say.

Source: KING5.com