FİKRİYE YILMAZ, SEMA DOKME YAGAR, DENİZ GUNGOR OZCAN, ZELAL OZYILDIZ
Acta Pharmaceutica Sciencia - 2025;63(3):722-737
This study investigates the use of pictograms in pharmaceutical leaflets in Turkey as a means to enhance patient understanding and compliance with medication instructions. The research examines the frequency, characteristics, and effectiveness of pictograms in drug instructions licensed by the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency. A cross-sectional, exploratory, and descriptive approach was used to analyze 17,709 drugs, with a focus on 1,959 drugs that feature at least one pictogram. Findings indicated that 11.1% (n=1,959) of licensed drugs utilized pictograms, mainly for sensory organ and respiratory system medications requiring specific administration. The study found most pictograms to be simple, averaging under seven images. Notably, 55.95% (n=1,095) included human figures, yet only 32.8% (n=359) depicted full faces or bodies. Pictograms with accompanying text were infrequent, but 96.3% (n=428) of the included text was readable. Consequently, promoting the widespread use of a standardized pictogram set within the Turkish pharmaceutical sector is crucial.
