Over-the-Counter Drug Label Warnings Overlooked

Consumers overlook warnings about potential tampering on over-the-counter medications at least 80 percent of the time, suggesting packages and labels need to be redesigned to attract attention and improve safety. Participants spent the most time focused on the brand names and product claims of nonprescription drugs. More than half of those surveyed also missed alerts about child safety on medicines that did not have child-resistant packaging, according to the research today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The findings raise doubts about whether the warnings meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements that they be “prominent” and “conspicuous,” the researchers said. Future studies need to look at whether changing package designs may help people’s eyes move more quickly to the notices or convey the information faster, said lead author Laura Bix. “Something is going on with conspicuousness and prominence,” said Bix, an assistant professor in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. “It’s definitely a chance to step back and look at the design of these labels and look at potentially educating consumers on the importance of the information.”

Steve - I cannot imagine what paltry percentage of Americans read the label inserts of prescription drugs.