A team led by a West Virginia University (WVU) researcher examined driver awareness of the potential effects of prescription medications.
Nearly 20 percent of people in the study, which was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, reported recent use of a prescription medication with the potential for impairment. But not all said they were aware that the medication could affect their driving, despite the potential for receiving warnings from their healthcare provider or the pill bottle’s label itself.
While many people take these medications and drive without incident every day, “It really depends on what you’re taking, why, and for how long,” said lead researcher Robin Pollini, MPH, PhD.
Pollini hopes this research will lead to an increase in doctors and pharmacists providing warnings, as well as improved labeling for medications that are likely to impair driving.
“The vast majority of drivers who are recent users of prescription drugs that have the potential for impairment have come into contact with a physician, a pharmacist, and a medication label,” she said. “There’s an opportunity here that’s not being leveraged: to provide people with accurate information about what risks are associated with those drugs. People can then make informed decisions about whether they’re able
to drive.”
This article was adapted from informatioPn provided by WVU.
