Editing Pharmacology (section)

== Patient Education Principles ==

* Teach the drug name, purpose, dose, timing, route, and what to do about a missed dose.
* Teach the most likely adverse effects and the specific findings that require a call to the provider.
* Assess health literacy, language, vision, dexterity, and cost barriers before assuming nonadherence is a choice.
* Use plain language, teach one concept at a time, and confirm understanding with the '''teach-back''' method, which is asking the patient to explain the instruction in their own words.
* Reinforce not stopping a drug because the patient feels better, which is critical for antibiotics, antihypertensives, antiepileptics, and antituberculars.
* Address over-the-counter and herbal products explicitly. Examples of clinically important herbals: St. John's wort induces enzymes and reduces the effect of many drugs while increasing serotonin syndrome risk; ginkgo, ginger, garlic, and ginseng increase bleeding risk.
* Provide written material at an accessible reading level and include the caregiver when appropriate.