Patient perspectives

The patient or end-user is the key determinant likely to influence whether a medicine is used optimally or at all. This chapter addresses: why the patient perspective is important for drug utilization researchers; how patients perceive medicines; some relevant issues for the quality use of medicines; and suggestions on how to research the quality use of medicines from the patient perspective. A patient’s perceptions of the risks and benefits of any medicine are key to whether it is used. Patients display co-existing accounts of positive and negative attitudes and experiences with medicine use. The chapter presents patient-centred measures of medicine use. It also presents key issues in patients’ use of medicines: self-medication, generics, and cultural influences. Today involving patients is a top priority and, in many cases, a necessity for obtaining research funding in drug research and development.