2021
Patient Information Leaflets in Australia For Improved Patient Care
Paper-based physical documents remain the most widely used method of delivering important information to patients. Patient Information Leaflets in Australia (PILs) differ in different jurisdictions, and their shape and structure depend on the regulations they comply with. This paper aims to illustrate the growing importance of the transition from print and screen to dynamic electronic information products as a way to expand access to and use of patient information.
Switching from paper to dynamic electronic Patient Information Leaflets in Australia (e-PILs) is a first step in enabling patients to receive current and clear information about a product, offering consumers a way to monitor product characteristics and enabling methods to improve legibility and understanding. It also facilitates real-time communication between healthcare professionals, regulators, manufacturers and patients with additional and updated information about the product.
CMI is only available if a medicine is prescribed by your doctor or available from the pharmacy. It is not available if the drug is sold through other outlets such as supermarkets.
Australian regulators required manufacturers of implantable medical devices to provide additional product information to patients from December 2018. For devices covered by this definition, manufacturers must provide patient cards and patient information sheets. These leaflets are subject to TGA review and regulatory evaluation along with the associated equipment, according to the guidance.
When a patient takes a new medication, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recommends a copy of the relevant document, Consumer Medicine Information (CMI), which is made available to physicians and pharmacists in order to inform them about the safe and effective use of the prescription drug over the counter. Concerns from doctors, pharmacists and patients about the complexity and legibility of CMI documents were prompted by the TGA to revise these documents.
A real PIL with medical information and a fake document with readable headings and illegible text. The environmental validity was higher in real-world text conditions, and the test documents were more realistic examples of everyday patient information. The tests were designed in such a way that the templates were so complex that a reader viewing a patient information brochure would not regard the template as a complete document.
PILs should be regularly updated. These are leaflets with specific information about illnesses and transportation requirements associated with our pick-up service, so keep an eye out for the latest. The Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflets give you important information about your medications.
