Aims: To identify knowledge about medication in a sample of patients admitted in a residential psychiatric rehabilitation unit.
Methods: All consecutive patients admitted in a psychiatric rehabilitation unit during January 2000-April 2001 were interviewed about the medications prescribed; in particular they were asked about names, daily dose, therapeutic and side effects of the psychotropic drugs they took.
Results: 74 patients were surveyed about their knowledge of the psychopharmacological treatment they took. Most patients demonstrated a good knowledge about drugs' name (77%) and daily dose (74.3%); one-quarter (25.7%) had some understanding about the reason why the medications were prescribed and theirs intended effects while only 5.4% was able to indicate the side effects of medications prescribed. Overall, 21.6% of patients could correctly indicate drugs' name, daily dose and therapeutic effects of all medications they took.
Conclusions: The results of our study indicate the importance in clinical practice to devote particular attention to the patients' understanding of provided information about treatment and the crucial role of strategies, aimed at improving compliance and maximize the effects of therapeutic interventions.