Physicians' perspectives on communicating prescription drug information.

Physician-patient communication has been identified as one factor that influences prescription drug compliance rates, even though the nature of such communication has not been well described. This study used a qualitative approach (in-depth interviews with 20 physicians representing a variety of medical areas) to better understand the process by which physicians communicate prescription drug information to their patients. A content analysis of interview transcripts indicated that two-way interactions focusing on the specific needs of the patients should be encouraged over simply disseminating more and more information about prescriptions. Information regarding unlikely outcomes was suggested to cause patient anxiety, which might be tied to decreased compliance rates. Physicians stressed the importance of "patient-directed communication" and expressed their concern over what they considered to be inappropriate sources of drug information. Other specific reasons cited for noncompliance included forgetfulness, ignoring medication when feeling better, and apprehensions about side effects.