Medication Guide: Education against fear and confusion!

Medication Guide: Education against fear and confusion!

On April 18, 2025, Hannah Warmer, a medical student at the Hannover Medical School (MHH), published a reference work entitled “Medicines – package inserts easily explained”, which deals with how medications work. This book, published by Springer-Verlag, is the result of two years of evaluation of leaflets for 50 medications commonly prescribed in Germany, including ramipril, ibuprofen, apixaban and prednisolone. Warmer's goal is to allay fears and pass on important information clearly and understandably, especially for older people. She drew her inspiration from the experiences of her grandmother, who was often overwhelmed by the complex information on package inserts. The result is a 254-page work that is intended to serve as a reference work to provide relevant information on active ingredients, complaints and side effects and interactions.

However, Warmer emphasizes that her book cannot replace personal advice from pharmacists or doctors. Practical tips included in the book include a warning about taking ibuprofen. Longer use could damage the stomach lining. The book will also be part of her doctoral thesis on the topic “Communication of pharmacological content for laypeople”. Prof. Dr. Roland Seifert, director of the MHH Institute of Pharmacology, supported Warmer during her project and is co-author of the book.

Challenges in dealing with package inserts

The complexity of information leaflets represents a major challenge for many patients. Alice von Laguna, who runs a pharmacy in Grefrath, mentions in her daily work that many patients are afraid of possible side effects and, out of this fear, reduce the dose or stop taking medication on their own. Patients often do not read the patient information leaflet out of fear that they will no longer be able to take the medication. The lack of understandable information causes many patients to confuse side effects, interactions and contraindications.

Side effects are undesirable symptoms that occur in addition to the main effect of a drug. Interactions refer to the interaction between drugs or even between drugs and food. A typical example is medication that must not be taken for angle-closure glaucoma. But patients often cannot distinguish between different types of glaucoma. This leads to uncertainty, especially among older people who often take several medications and sometimes misattribute the side effects.

Medication advice in pharmacies

To reduce uncertainty, patients should consult their doctor or pharmacist if they have any doubts. This is particularly important in view of the increasing polymedication, the taking of five or more medications prescribed by a doctor every day. Pharmacists now offer advanced medication consultations to identify medication-related problems. In Germany, 42% of people over 65 take more than five medications daily, which increases the risk of adverse drug reactions. Studies show that between 10 and 30% of hospitalizations in older people are due to side effects, although two-thirds of these cases could be preventable.

The consultations also include checking interactions between over-the-counter products and food. Pharmacists like Dr. Barsom Aktas carry out structured medication consultations and, if necessary, create individual medication plans. Health insurance companies cover the costs of these analyses, which is a further incentive for patients to take advantage of these offers. A key part of this review is bringing all medications, including over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements, to ensure comprehensive advice.