Email this article Informa(c)tion: How to do things with medicine information leaflets
Abstract
Abstract – This paper analyses how Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) of over-the-counter medical products convey information. More precisely, the article focuses on “instructions” on how to use medicines and related “instructional information” (Trimble 1985). The latter is used in PILs to explain why consumers should follow the instructions. The aim is to show, then, how and whether the PILs sampled help consumers to translate effectively the information contained into actions. The first part of the article examines the deontic devices employed in 8 English and Italian PILs of the most common over-the-counter medicines for human consumption used to relieve the same symptoms. The second part, instead, analyses whether and how the eight leaflets sampled followed the ‘instructions’ contained in one of the authoritative works by Sless and Shrensky in this field (2006). Both Australian authors, indeed, provide useful advice on how to write directives and related explanations in PILs.
Riassunto – Questo lavoro si propone di analizzare come i foglietti illustrativi dei medicinali da banco veicolano le informazioni. Nel caso specifico, l’attenzione è rivolta alle “istruzioni” per l’uso (dei medicinali) e alle “informazioni sulle istruzioni” (Trimble 1985). Quest’ultime vengono utilizzate nei foglietti illustrativi per spiegare ai consumatori perché seguire specifiche istruzioni. L’intento è quello di mostrare, quindi, come e se i foglietti illustrativi dei medicinali presi a campione aiutino i consumatori a tradurre in modo efficace le informazioni in azioni. La prima parte dell’articolo è incentrata sulle strategie deontiche utilizzate in 8 foglietti illustrativi di medicinali da banco inglesi e italiani per uso umano, usati comunemente per curare la stessa tipologia di sintomi. La seconda parte, invece, analizza se e come gli otto foglietti illustrativi presi a campione hanno seguito, a loro volta, le ‘istruzioni’ contenute in uno degli lavori considerati più autorevoli nel campo dei foglietti illustrativi dei medicinali (Sless e Shrensky 2006). Entrambi gli autori australiani, infatti, offrono una serie di consigli utili su come scrivere le istruzioni e le relative spiegazioni.
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