[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Author Index (this month)][Thread Index (this month)][Top of Archive]

Re: NPR story on medicine labeling

Subject: Re: NPR story on medicine labeling
From: Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: Abby Klemmer <aklemmer -at- factset -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:36:44 -0500

Abby Klemmer wrote:

I heard this story on NPR this morning and thought it was interesting from a technical writing perspective. Prescription medicine labels and instructions are frequently vague, to the point of people making serious mistakes.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6589478


I heard the same story, but I came away from it with a different lesson. At the end, we're told to go to the NPR site for a list of five questions we should ask every time we're given a prescription. Earlier in the story, various healthcare professionals (doctors, pharmacists) emphasize that any errors in taking medications are the patient's fault.

What I heard was a complete disconnect from reality. It seems to me that if there are five questions we should ask every time a med is prescribed, then maybe it behooves the doctor and pharmacist to provide that information in the first place instead of waiting for the minority of informed patients to ask. And it also seems to me that blaming patients for medication errors gets it backwards. Target has the right idea, as does the guy who looked at warning labels; the other doctors and pharmacy academics quoted have it wrong because they see patients as their subordinates, not their customers.

Dick
http://www.dmargulis.com/
http://www.ampersandvirgule.blogspot.com/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.

Follow-Ups:

References:
NPR story on medicine labeling: From: Abby Klemmer

Previous by Author: Re: Extensions and dots in filenames
Next by Author: Re: Interviewing Strategies
Previous by Thread: NPR story on medicine labeling
Next by Thread: RE: NPR story on medicine labeling

[Top of Archive] | [Author Index (this month)] | [Thread Index (this month)]

What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:

Sponsored Ads