Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/10071/28962
Author(s): | Lopes, N. Pegado, E. Egreja, C. Rodrigues, C. F. Fernandes, A. |
Date: | 2023 |
Title: | Medicines and medication literacy: Social practices and use of information |
Journal title: | Social Sciences |
Volume: | 12 |
Number: | 7 |
Reference: | Lopes, N., Pegado, E., Egreja, C., Rodrigues, C. F., & Fernandes, A. (2023). Medicines and medication literacy: Social practices and use of information. Social Sciences, 12(7), 392. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci12070392 |
ISSN: | 2076-0760 |
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): | 10.3390/socsci12070392 |
Keywords: | Medication literacy Information sources Informational plurality Pharmaceuticals Dietary supplements Sociological analysis |
Abstract: | This article discusses results from a sociological study on (i) the sources and use of information on medicines and/or supplements and (ii) the self-assessment of how informed participants were about the last medicine or supplement they purchased. It seeks to demonstrate the plurality of information sources (expert and lay) that individuals call upon—with which they build up their medication literacy—and their perception of the information they have. While these social components of literacy are scarcely visible in available studies, the need to produce knowledge on them is a requisite for a more laypeople-centred approach in public policies seeking to promote medication literacy. A questionnaire was applied in-person (n = 1107) in urban pharmacies in Lisbon and Porto (Portugal). Results show expert information (medical and pharmaceutical) as the dominant reference, followed by lay sources (family/friends/colleagues), while digital sources were less valued than interpersonal ones. This interpersonal dimension was a relevant factor in the building of trust in information. The self-assessment of the information on medication was higher in functional literacy and lower in comprehensive literacy. Studies on medication literacy are particularly relevant in the current context of the expansion and diversification of medicines’ use and of individuals’ growing autonomy in their consumption habits. |
Peerreviewed: | yes |
Access type: | Open Access |
Appears in Collections: | CIES-RI - Artigos em revistas científicas internacionais com arbitragem científica |
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article_96600.pdf | 333,12 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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