An investigation for people with mental disorders regarding their learning-recalling-pronunciation of medicine brand names

Abstract

Objective: In the field of mental health it is not rare to encounter that patients have difficulties in learning, recalling and pronouncing brand names of their medicines. In this study it was aimed to determine the problems of psychiatric outpatients in recalling and pronouncing brand names of their medicines. Methods: Patients from four psychiatric outpatient clinics were questioned about the brand names of their medicines. Response scores were standardized as: One point: accurately recalled and accurately pronounced. Two points: accurately recalled, but inaccurately pronounced. Three points: recalled with assistance (by given clue) and accurately pronounced. Four points: recalled with assistance (by given clue), but inaccurately pronounced. Five points: Not recalled at all. Correlations between scores and educational level, age and duration of the medicine usage were examined. Results: Eight hundred and forty-eight patients were enrolled to the study. All patients gave verbal informant consent. Most of the participants were female, married and unemployed. Mean age was 40 and mean level of education was eight years. Fifty-six percent of patients have accurately recalled and pronounced (those scored 1 point) brand name of at least one medicine they are taking, but 30% of patients inaccurately recalled and pronounced their medicines. While Zestat, Dideral, Clonex, Akineton and Depakin were brand names those more accurately recalled and accurately pronounced, Xetanor, Wellbutrin, Tegretol, Desyrel and Redepra were brand names those most difficultly recalled and pronounced. No important correlation between scores and level of education, age and duration of the medicine usage has been found. Conclusion: Results of this study address a serious problem about to recall and pronouncing of brand names of medicines those are used in mental health field. In regard to learning and recalling of the words easily, it is necessary to have an association between the phonetic, auditory and meaningful association of the words. Brand names those have familiar association for the patient were easily recalled and pronounced. This study refers to the importance of starting to consider what to do about substituting brand names of drugs with those are more compatible with Turkish language in order to recall and pronounce the medicine names easily and accurately for patients speaking Turkish.