Abstract
Health literacy is multifaceted and integral to the dynamic information exchange that occurs between healthcare professionals and patients. The concepts of health literacy and medication literacy encompass a person’s ability to acquire, understand and action health and/or medicines information in order to make an informed decision. The healthcare system as a whole also plays an important role in supporting individuals’ health literacy. In order to provide person-centered care that is actionable, both health and medicines information-related written and spoken communication must be underpinned by an awareness that health literacy and medication literacy can vary within an individual as well as between individuals. A person’s level of health and medication literacy can affect the actions they take in managing their health and medicines. These actions can in turn be associated with, or have an impact on, health-related patient-centered outcomes. This chapter describes the concept of medication literacy (within the broader context of health literacy), how it has been measured, health-related outcomes associated with health and/or medication literacy, and the role of pharmacy in improving medication literacy within the broader population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Health Literacy in Medicines Use and Pharmacy - A Definitive Guide |
| Subtitle of host publication | a Definitive Guide |
| Editors | Ahmed Awaisu, Emad Eldin Munsour, Parisa Aslani, Rabia Hussain, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | Academic Press |
| Chapter | 3 |
| Pages | 41-54 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780128244074 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0-12-824407-4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Keywords
- Medication literacy
- Health literacy
- Patients/consumers
- medicine information
- Healthcare communication
- Health outcomes
- Medicine information